


His Undeniable Need

by lazilicious



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-14 19:59:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 55
Words: 126,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5756350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazilicious/pseuds/lazilicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't a want, it was a need.</p><p>From the first moment that Kylo Ren laid eyes on a young Rey at Luke Skywalker's camp, he already had their future all planned out. He needed to gain power first, in order that he and his beloved could live the life they deserved, ruling the universe side by side.</p><p>Separate, they are loneliness, sadness, and anger.</p><p>But together, they are passion, deep dark desires and wants. When they are together, the lines between the dark and the light blur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"But mom, I don't WANT to!" whined a young Ben as his parents were forced to drag him to the academy, where his stern uncle Luke Skywalker was waiting.

Ben had always hated his uncle, always serious and commanding Ben to meditate, meditate, and meditate. He was getting tired of his Uncle's boring lessons. He wanted to learn something useful; he wanted raw, hard power that he could wield in his hand.

"Ben Solo, you get your whiny behind to your uncle before I have to whip some sense into you!" his mother, Leia Solo said, with a glint in her eye that proved she would not go back on her promise. While his mother was busy laying into him, his father stood behind with a light expression and a soft chuckle.

"Son, listen to your mother. You know her slaps are hard." said Hans Solo.

"But father," said Ben, trying hard to appeal to his easygoing father, the one parent whom he always ran to. "I want to go with you! Can't I help you and Chewie on the Millenium Falcon?"

Hans opened his mouth, about to say something, when Leia quickly shot him a glance that could render him dead on the ground faster than he could say Jabba the Hutt.

He gave a sorry look to his kid and managed to say, "Sorry kiddo. One day I'll come back for you, and I promise to help you in any way you need. You know I would do anything for you. But for now, listen to your mother, and your uncle. Don't you want to be a Jedi? Wield your own lightsaber and 'rule the world'?""

Ben said nothing but lowered his head silently to the ground. His own father didn't want him, so who would? It was a pointless fight anyway. Many times his parents had seen and heard him frolick on the Falcon, making 'whooshing' sounds imitating a lightsaber, and climbing on Chewie's back to 'rule the world'.

As one of the few force-sensitives left in the universe, Ben knew it was his duty to go and train with his uncle.

Leia knew she had won, and stooped down to give her son a light kiss on his pale forehead. Pulling back his wavy black hair, she whispered words of encouragement into his ear, reminding him to stay strong, and to remember his parent's love.

It was in this way that young Ben Solo resolved to be the strongest figure in the universe, to prove to his parents that he was not their weak and stubborn boy, but rather the respected grandson of Darth Vader.

Standing next to his forlorn new master, Ben Solo got his first taste of what it was like to be Kylo Ren.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting cross-legged on the soft, green grass outside his uncle’s hut, Ben silently curses his master and himself.

 

_ Meditate, meditate, meditate. That’s all I ever do! Hasn’t uncle realized that the force inside might not want to be found? Foolish old man. _

 

Shifting his position, Ben inwardly groans at his sore muscles and his aching back. If this was what it meant to be a Jedi, he wasn’t so sure of his dedication. Where was the power he was promised? Where was his lightsaber, his followers, and all that he had ever dreamed about?

 

_ Do you want power? _

 

Ben jumped out of his meditating pose, looking around for the unsettling voice. He saw no one, but he could still hear the hissing voice in the back of his head.

 

_ Follow me, and you will drown in power. Follow me, and all your dreams will come true. Follow me, and you shall prove to your parents, your foolish old uncle, and all those who ever mocked you that you are indeed the son of the powerful Darth Vader! _

 

Ben is still unsettled, but for some odd reason, the voice promising power soothes him, and he feels the Force flowing through his body. Sitting back down into a meditating position, he dreams of power.

 

_ He’s dressed in dark robes, a mask on his face that is eerily close to his grandfather’s. In his right hand is a bright red lightsaber, that flickers with raw energy. He can hear the screams of his weak prey in the background, and men dressed in white uniforms and armed with blasters are running around, killing and looting. Suddenly, he hears a woman’s voice calling him, and a bright light shines through his dream and everything turns to-- _

 

It’s a slight nudge to his leg that snaps him out of his dream. “Yes, master?” he says, turning his head upwards to search for his mentor.

 

It isn’t his master, but instead a young girl. Ben shakes his head, wondering if he’s still in his dream. What’s a young girl doing here?

 

She’s a beautiful thing, young, compared to his 18 years of age. She seems so delicate, like a lily waving in the wind, or the sun piercing through the dark winter clouds.

 

But when she opens her mouth, she is anything but beautiful.

 

“You need to straighten your back. That posture is going to kill you someday. Breathe through your nose more, it helps to strengthen your lungs,” says the girl, in her tiny warbling voice and small, pink lips.

  
“Ex-Excuse me?” Ben stutters, outraged that such a tiny thing had the audacity to provoke him in such a way. He can feel his face growing red, and in his anger to prove himself, he stoops down and picks the girl up by her armpits. He lifts this tiny child up to his face level, until his eyes meet her warm, hazel ones.

"What did you just say?" Ben has to hear it again in order to believe it.

Saying nothing, the girl instead reaches out her arms to tug at his ears.

 

Taken aback, Ben stands in shock, amazed at how comfortable this girl is with touching a complete stranger. But even more surprising is the warmth that she imbues in him with her light touch. All those times his master had touched him, he had never felt this comfortable. When the girl reaches back her arms, he finds himself sad at the disappearance of the warmth, and he desires to have her touch him again. 

 

"You have big ears," the girl says in her sweet soprano, and reaches up to touch his nose instead. "And a big nose too!" She giggles, and her laugh is like a choir of angels to Ben's ears. 

 

"What's your name?" says the girl, her eyes large with wonder, and her face set in curiosity. He swears that she radiate light. It's as if she's a star, and Ben is standing close enough to feel her warmth. 

 

"Are you deaf?"

 

"No, I'm not." Feeling embarrassed, Ben somehow manages to find his voice. "My name's Ben. Ben Solo." He slowly and gently puts her down at the ground, where he can now see the clear height difference.

 

"Nice to meet you, Ben." says the girl. She once again extends her tiny arm, offering her hand to Ben. "My name's Rey Kenobi."

 

And as the two shake hands, once again the warmth spreads through Ben, shooting throughout his entire body, from the tip of his nose to the bottom of his toes.

 

For the first time in so long, he feels a smile start to spread across his face.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He has finally found an anchor, a solid foothold where he finds his foundation.
> 
> But is his ray of sunshine strong enough to keep the whispers at night at bay?
> 
> Or will his ray of sunshine prove to be his downfall?

"Higher, Ben! Higher!" Screams Rey, laughing at the top of her lungs while Ben gives her a piggyback ride, running through the fields on the side of the island.

 

It's been like this for a couple years now. Although Rey is now ten, Ben still sees her as his little baby. He still can't resist her when she asks for piggyback rides, and he can never bring himself to yell at her when she tugs at his ears and nose. While his uncle still proves a nuisance, he finds his solace and peace in Rey, and he spends almost all his free time with her. The other students find this relationship strange, for Rey has reached the age where the pair are considered questionable. 

 

Rey lets out her loudest laugh yet as Ben tosses her into the air, finally catching her and lowering her to his eye level. She tweaks his ear and nose, her daily ritual before Ben lowers her to the ground.   
  
  


"I promise, Ben, one day I'll be as tall as you!" 

 

"And how tall is that, Rey?" Ben laughs, finding her promise childlike.

 

Stretching out her arms above her head, she still only reaches Ben's chin height. "Thiiisssss tall!" she gently says, a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

 

"Do you promise Rey? That one day you'll be that tall?" Asks Ben, pulling her in close to his chest as they both collapse on the grass.

 

"I do, Ben, I do."

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

For the first time in 3 months, the whispers come back.

 

Once again, he sees the same visions of power, and he hears the same screams and sees the same chaos in his dreams.

 

And still, he hears the whispers.

 

_Power._

 

_I know you want it._

 

Suddenly, he has a vision of Rey, being dragged by tall men, her face stained with tears as she cries out to him, yells his name as a plea for help. He's screaming back too, and he attempts to run to her so that he can hold her in his arms.

 

_You fear this, do you not?_

 

Ben doesn't even answer, he just falls to his knees and continues to sob

 

_You can prevent this. I can give you the power._

 

Ceasing his sobbing, Ben contemplates the voice.

 

_How? How can I get this power?_

 

Ben no longer cares about what this power entails. He just wants Rey to be safe, he wants to never see her crying eyes again.

 

_Follow me, become my apprentice, and you shall indeed be as strong as Darth Vader._

 

Ben barely hesitates.  
  


_I will. What will you ask of me?_

 

_\-----------------------------------------_

 

Luke confronts him one day, stopping Ben in the middle of his meditation.

 

"Stop, my young padawan." Says Luke. Ben dutifully stands up, ceasing his meditation. Sensing another lecture, Ben prepares himself for another speech by his uncle.

 

"I know of your dreams. I know of those whispers of power," says his uncle. Suddenly, Ben is paying full attention. How did his uncle catch on?

 

"You must stop it at once! This power will destroy you! it will-"

 

Ben cuts off his uncle's speech. "What do you know of power?" Ben feels himself steeling his resolve, and he is determined to release all the emotions he had kept at bay ever since he arrived at his uncle's academy. "What do you, an old man obsessed with the ways of tradition, know about power? Have you ever felt the raw, pulsing energy of the Force? Held it in your own hand? I have! I have forsaken your ways of meditation, your weak, cowardly ways of power." Ben finally reveals his weapon, the red lightsaber that the voice had helped him make, and he proceeds to slash the ground in front of him, angry attacks, trying to prove his power to his uncle. " _The voice_ has revealed the power to me, and he has helped me to become powerful. Ben is gone, but Kylo Ren has emerged from the ashes of your foolish nephew!"

 

Luke says nothing throughout his nephew's rant. It is just as he feared. Ben is gone.

 

"I knew you were like this," he solemnly said, and closes his eyes while shaking his head in disappointment. Ben, no, Kylo Ren,  can't help but wonder if it's self-disappointment of disappointment in him.

 

His uncle continues on. "I've taken her away from you." 

 

Kylo stops his attack on the innocent rocks at his feet and slowly raises his head to meet his master's eyes.

 

"No," he says, and he looks inside his uncle's mind, who allows him a vision of a crying Rey being left behind by a ship on a hot, desert island. "No!" He screams, but nothing changes the image of the tear-stained girl in front of him. 

 

"No!" With one final shout, he sinks to the ground. Sobbing and showing his one true weakness to his uncle.

 

_\-----------------------------------------_

 

_Donning a mask, Kylo Ren flies away from his home the past decade, from all he's ever known._

 

_He has a new mission._

 

_He has to find Rey._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was so fun writing this chapter! No more Ben, but Kylo Ren!
> 
> Shoutout to CFHamilton, whose Broken Bridges series is a huge inspiration for mine!
> 
> (I just wish my writing style was as good as his lol.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's alone on a planet, one not of her choosing.
> 
> But when she meets a man who drags her into a world where nothing is as it seems, she realizes that she has a chance to find out her past.
> 
> But will learning her past hurt her?

Same old, same old.

 

She's still always arguing with Unkar Plutt, still fighting for the right worth of her scavengings. She scoffs. Is her hard work today, her scavengings of the radios of a few ships, really only worth 2 portions?

 

"Yesterday they were worth four portions!" Yells Rey, while the other customers behind her say nothing about the injustice that they themselves feel every day, and turn their eyes down to the ground. 

 

"Take it or leave it," growls Plutt. "Maybe if you actually brought me something of worth, we could discuss a better price." Rey knows that her scavengings helps this disgusting creature continue his business every day. But they're both at a stalemate, for she needs to eat and he needs to continue his business. 

 

Scowling, Rey says nothing but instead grabs her meager meal for the day before racing back to her makeshift hope on her speed bike.

 

Mixing her portion, Rey has time to reflect on her past, the same thing she has done for an uncountable amount of years ever since she was ditched on this hellhole they called Jakku.

 

But this hellhole is the only home she can remember. 

 

Seeing the bread rising steadily in the bowl, Rey quickly grabs her staff, helmet, and her meager meal before rushing outside to continue her daily task.

 

With every plane that passes by, Rey feels the longing inside her, a longing for a home, a place to belong, where she is welcomed, and where she might dare to love and be loved. It's an odd memory that she holds, but she remembers gentle hands, big ears, pale skin, and luscious black hair that she always desperately wanted to run her hands in. 

 

As she stares up into the sky, hoping beyond hope at every starcraft that passes in the sky, she feels a piece of her soul fall away, disappearing into disappointment and loneliness. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

"BEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP! BeeP BOoP!"

 

A sharp beeping noise wakes Rey from her unstable sleep. She quickly grabs her staff, before racing out into the sands, trying to find the source of the sounds of distress.

 

As she rises over the ridge, she finds the source. A small BB-8 unit, tangled in the net of a bounty hunter. She quickly yells a few words in the hunter's language, not bothering to damp down the foul language. As the hunter and his ride slowly walk away from her, she squats down in order to detangle the poor droid.

 

Finally cutting the net away, she finds herself gazing into the eye of the droid, whose beeps of distress have quieted down.

 

"Your antenna's broken," she said, and fixes his antenna as an excuse to break the uncomfortable silence between them. 

 

She stands up, and the BB unit's eye follows her as she does so. "Town is that way," she says, and points to the distance. But the droid's eye never leaves her, and it seems to have ignored her instructions. Annoyed, Rey turns around to walk back to her home, eager to search the skies once again. 

 

But she hears another sound following her own footsteps in the sand. As she turns around, she gives out a huff of annoyance. "Don't follow me. Town is THAT way." Rey points once again, but the droid seems to be deaf to her instructions. It casts it's head down sadly, giving out a sad beep that causes Rey's own sense of loneliness to rise in her chest once again. 

 

"Fine," she said. The droid's head perks up, and it gives a beep of happiness. "But in the morning, you go." And as Rey walks into the distance, the droid following like an eager friend at her fet, she can't help but wonder if she helped the droid out of kindness, or her ability to understand his loneliness. 

 

When she finally does fall asleep. The droid is still awake, not yet in charging mode.

 

The droid watches over his rescuer in her sleep, and for the first time in what feels like ages, Rey is able to have dreams of comfort, and strong arms holding her. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Rey struggles to catch her breath after knocking down the three men who had attempted to attack her at the outpost. Suddenly, BB-8's chirps alert her to something else.

 

"Really? HE killed your owner?" Rey asks, focusing on the young, confused looking man who is presumably wearing the jacket of BB-8's owner. Hearing the affirmative, she rushes to knock down the man.

 

\--------------------------------

 

"Finn. My name is Finn." 

 

Hearing those words, Rey can't help but wonder if she finally has a friend. But those thoughts are interrupted by bombs and shots raining down on them from above. As Finn grabs her hand, she can't stop her reflexes from yelling "let me go" But even when she tugs her hand free, she can feel the warmth left by him on her hand, and it makes her happy knowing that for the first time in forever, she has a friend. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Rey can't wonder how she got in this mess. Piloting the millennium falcon, and barely escaping tentacled monsters on space harbor of the infamous Hans Solo. How did she, a scavenger from Jakku, end up in such an adventure?

 

She can't help but wonder.

 

She's broken out of her thoughts when Hans offers her a blaster. "I can take care of myself, thank you," she says, not wanting to admit that she has no idea how one of those things work. 

 

"I know you can, that's why I'm giving it to you," says Hans. She finally does accept the gift from Hans, and it feels comfortable and warm in his hands. Hans smiles, and she can't help but smile too. 

 

What's this feeling? What's this warm, content feeling spreading in his chest?

 

She finally feels at home. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo Ren is still struggling.
> 
> Darkness against light, light against darkness.
> 
> But is Rey struggling? Does she feel the emotions of Kylo Ren?

Kylo Ren breathes heavily through his mask. 

 

He had the dream again, and it plagued him again like a disease that he couldn't get rid of.

 

But does he want to get rid of this disease?

 

He needs the light. He craves the light. The light is what helps him survive the darkness.

 

No, it helps him survive his own darkness.

 

He couldn't go on forever. He couldn't keep chasing her in his dreams, for he needed her by his side. 

 

\-----------------------------------

 

_He was still angry and lonely when he came to Starkiller Base as the new apprentice of Snoke._

 

_He was still craving the light._

 

_Even as he met new people, Hux, Phasma, and the cowardly stormtroopers, nothing could fill the hole that Rey had torn in him so many years ago. Even the power that he now had as a result of Snoke's training didn't distract him from his one true wish. No matter how many he killed, no matter how much fear he instilled in the eyes of his enemies, he still wasn't satisfied._

 

_\-----------------------------------_

 

"Sir, the droid has escaped," the nervous lieutenant licked his lips, fearful of his demise, and angry that he had picked the short straw among his companions to be the one to relay the bad news to the commander. "Along with the traitor, FN-2187."

 

He winced as Kylo Ren slashed and slashed at the command board, trying his hardest to avoid the sparks that flew towards his face.

 

"Anything else?" said Kylo Ren, his voice creepily masked by his voice modulator.

 

"They had helped," gulped the lieutenant. "From a girl. A scavenger."

 

Nothing could have prepared the lieutenant for the force at which Kylo Ren choked him.

 

_\----------------------------------_

 

Anger, anger, and more anger.

 

Kylo Ren channeled it into power, as Snoke had taught him.

 

A girl? A scavenger girl was responsible for the loss of the droid? The traitor had himself been a huge embarrassment but once the word got out about the girl, Kylo would never hear the end of it from Hux. 

But this girl?

 

The scavenger they described as strong, a good pilot, and graceful?

 

It sounded suspiciously like someone he had once known, someone that he had a long past with.

 

But could he really hope it was Rey?

 

Only one way to find out.

 

_\----------------------------------_

 

The vision had scared Rey. The image of the lightsaber, the images of bloodshed, deaths, and more had struck a deep cord within her. She wanted nothing to do with the giant mess she had gotten herself into, and without thinking, she ran into the woods.

 

She hadn't even realized that BB-8 was on her heels.

 

She hadn't even been thinking when she fired upon the stormtrooper, and she didn't even think about herself when she dodged the incoming fire and ran even deeper into the woods, telling BB-8 to run to somewhere safe.

 

She hadn't even been thinking when the man with the red lightsaber slowly stalked towards her, a sense of predator and danger around him.

 

She hadn't even remembered that this was the man who had plagued her dreams, her nightmares, and everything in between.

 

 

_\----------------------------------_

 

Even as the girl fired blast after blast at him, Kylo Ren was not afraid.

 

He was curious.

 

The girl's face, the way she handled herself, and the look of determination on her face made him believe that he had met her before. And when he finally delved into her mind while holding her vulnerable with the force, he saw the glimpse of the map to Skywalker. But he went deeper than he had meant to, and he felt the slap of emotion.

 

Loneliness. A strong desire to belong, a strong need for love.

 

And the name.

 

Rey.

 

Rey, Rey, and Rey.

 

His Rey of sunshine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys for the sucky chapter.   
>  :/
> 
> It might feel slow, but hold on for the upcoming ride!
> 
> (Watcha feel about Kylo's kind of creepy obsession?)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A vision of what was and could have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt like some light fluff was in order (^-^)
> 
> The past, and a possible future!

The first time little Rey got angry, she ended up destroying about half of the girl's dormitory and she landed an impressive amount of people in the infirmary. 

 

Needless to say, it was quite the tantrum.

 

The aftermath was horrible for Rey. Bullying, threats, and harsh words were thrown towards the little girl, who had no idea how to keep her Force in check. It was hard to imagine that everyone, from tiny toddlers to the oldest elders, could gang up on a harmless little girl who had no idea what was going on. But just as it is in the outside world, where the monsters of jealousy, anger, and pride stride, it is also so inside the Jedi Academy of Luke Skywalker.

 

"Go back to the dump you came from, girl!"

 

"Someone lock this freak up! Can't have her tantrums destroying half the universe!"

 

"Ugh, what a despicable little thing. No wonder her parents left her here."

 

It was Ben who was the first to comfort her after the disaster. He was the one who found her crying under a bush of lilies near the shore, and her sobbing seemed almost perfectly in sync with the chaotic crashes of the waves. Even when she was crying, she was beautiful. He had a strange desire to pull her close to his chest, and wipe the tears off of her face.

 

So he did just that.

 

Even then, Rey seemed to cry harder. As she cried, the waves grew in size and intensity.

 

"Why are you crying?" murmured Ben, wiping her tears away while still holding her. Knowing that she wasn't able to talk due to the intensity of her sobs, he instead looked inside her mind.

 

_They call me a freak! They're saying horrible things about me._

 

Rey cried harder and stuffed her head into the nook of his arm, and her arms clutched around his wide chest. It felt as if she fit perfectly, as if Ben was made to be a perfect fit for Rey.

 

_Are you going to leave me, Ben? Are you going to do what everyone else is doing?_

 

"You don't need to worry, I'll always be here for you." Even as he said those words, Ben knew that no matter where his little ray of sunshine went, he would always follow and wipe away whatever tears she would shed.

 

"You promise?" asked Rey, her sniffling growing quieter.

 

"Always," said Ben.

 

The waves had calmed, and as the two sat calmly on the shore, the sun pierced through the stormy clouds from above, and for a while, the two knew nothing but peace. 

 

\----------------------------

 

"Ben! Dinner's ready!"

 

Smiling, Ben stopped swinging his daughter around on her little hoverboard and kissed her on the forehead. Hand in hand, he and his daughter walked into the kitchen where a very pregnant Rey was busy cooking up a family dinner. 

 

Kissing his one true love on the forehead, her neck, her ears, and her smiling lips, Ben asked, "what's for dinner?"

 

"Apple pie, and a surprise dish," giggled Rey, running her fingers through Ben's luscious hair. 

 

The two stood there for a while, embracing and relishing in each other's warmth until they were interrupted by their daughter's grumbling stomach.

 

"Someone got dirty," Rey said, kissing her daughter's big nose, and tweaked her ears. The same ears that she had so lovingly tweaked those many years ago. 

 

It wasn't until after dinner when Ben expressed his worry with his love.

 

"Rey, what if this new baby doesn't like me?"

 

"Ben, we've gone over this a hundred times. How can your own baby not love you?"

 

Ben said nothing, but instead, visions of his father falling into the depths of death, and a vision of his crying mother crept into his head against his will. Knowing what he was thinking, Rey reached over and stroked his cheek gently.

 

"Your mother has forgiven you, Ben, " she said while Ben closed his eyes and stroked Rey's hand on his cheek. "Even your own father forgave you."

 

Deep down, Ben knew that she was right.

 

While the two lay in each other's arms, Han Solo smiled from his place in the heavens above, and whispered,

 

"I forgive you."

 

Ben fell asleep smiling, a happy vision of his childhood ringing in his head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He finally has her.
> 
> But has his ray of sunshine changed?

Kylo Ren gazed down at his prize while sitting aboard his starship, which was just about to dock aboard Starkiller Base.

 

She was still the same that he had remembered her as. Her lips were still so beautiful, so perfectly shaped, so plump and rich with the deep color of red. In sleep, Rey's eyelids were spasming, her long, dainty eyelashes flitting and shaking. She was giving out quick, sporadic breaths that were filled with tension and sorrow. Frowning, Ben dug into Rey's mind, trying to find the cause of such pain.

 

He was hit with such a big wave of loneliness that he quickly withdrew from Rey's mind, tears in his own eyes. He tried to shake the images of endless sands and long nights from his head, but even still he could not shut out the emotion that Rey was feeling. 

 

He had never hated himself so much for leaving Rey behind. But he promised that it would never happen again. 

 

_ \-------------------------- _

 

Rey woke suddenly, feeling both cold but hot all over. 

 

Her lips felt dry, and she reached up her hand to try and itch them. 

 

Well, at least she tried to. 

 

Seeing the iron chains, Rey's heart awoke into a frenzy, fast, dangerous heartbeats that sent adrenaline throughout her entire body. She tugged, she grunted, she groaned with the effort of trying to free herself from imprisonment and possible torture, but all she succeeded in doing was chafing her wrists. She could feel the blood start to pool around her fingertips, the pain sending needles throughout her entire body. 

 

_ Where was she? _

 

She knew it was the First Order. She knew that she was in the hands and mercy of the sick bastards who had wounded Finn, but she felt no fear for herself. She felt anger, anger that crashed over wave after wave, and soon she had a giant ocean full of the red-hot and unforgiving emotion. 

 

It was when she was scanning the room for an escape when she saw the figure crouched in the corner of the room. 

 

The figure, sensing that she was finally awake, rose and tilted her head like a curious puppy.

 

_ She had seen that motion so many times before. _

 

_ But where? _

 

Her frustration caused the ocean of anger to rise again, and she resumed her futile attempts to escape the chair which she was strapped in. The blood resumed, and so did the pain. 

 

Seeing the blood, the masked figure started at a quick pace for her chair.

 

Panicking, even more, Rey pulled and pulled, but was finally stopped when the figure seized both her wrists and stared into her face. Rey stared right back at the figure, gulping back her fear.

 

_ So this is where it ends,  _ she thought.

 

She closed her eyes, accepting of her death. Her last wish was that the resistance would be able to kill this filthy scum that was holding her captive now. 

 

_ Damn them. Damn them all to hell! _

 

Instead of the death she was expecting, Rey instead felt gentle hands wiping away the blood around her wrists. 

 

_ No! No! This is a trick! Death will come any moment! _

 

But as the gentle wiping motions on her wrist continued, Rey dared to open one eye. Then the other, as she realized that the masked figure really was cleaning her up. 

 

_ Hmph. Guess they like their prisoners to be clean before they execute them. _

 

Suddenly, the wiping stopped. Glancing down, Rey realized that it was because her wrists were now clean, the open cuts visible to the naked eye. She could still feel the pain, the chains still chafing her wrists.

 

“Can you release me? The chains are hurting my wrists,” Rey says in a mocking voice, for surely the First Order would never be so stupid as to release their prisoners. Still, it’s worth a try. If she’s going to die anyway, why not?

 

These are the first words spoken in the room ever since she awoke, and she couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine as her voice echoed around the room, while the figure still stared at her, it's gaze never wavering. 

 

She almost drops to the ground in surprise when the masked creature actually frees her from the chair. She allows herself a moment of preparation before launching herself at the monster with all the energy she had.

 

But before she could even lay a hand on the monster, she felt her hand and entire body frozen by a strange force, the same force that trapped her on Takadana. Unable to speak, she instead cursed silently and ground her teeth at the monster, whose hands were outstretched with the effort of holding her in place. 

 

Even she herself could feel the anger that was rolling off of her in waves, filling the room and corrupting her usually peaceful train of thought. 

 

Out of nowhere, she was released from the Force. She fell to the floor with a shout and rubbed her stingy wrists. She glared up at the monster, who was still staring at her with the same unnerving intensity as earlier.

 

“Who are you, you coward?” Rey asked, her voice rising higher with each word. “Are you such a coward that you don’t allow prisoners to see the face of their executioner before their death?” Rey spat at the monster’s feet, before continuing. 

 

“I hate you.”

 

The monster seemed unnerved by her statement, and he stepped back a few feet. Why, though? Wouldn't the murderer of an entire village have heard the same statement over and over?

 

The monster’s hand reached out, and Rey instinctively protected her face with her own hands. But it wasn’t her the monster was reaching for. 

 

As the helmet came off, Rey found herself staring into a pair of intense brown eyes.

 

Eyes she had seen before.

 

Eyes that held her still where she sat, their intensity almost burning a hole in her own eyes. She lost herself in those beautiful, intense, warm, brown eyes.

 

And she felt a strange sense of relief, a sense of completion and happiness.

 

_ \-------------------------- _

 

She was even more beautiful when he took off his helmet.

 

He swore she got more gorgeous with every passing second.

 

Several emotions passed over her face. Hurt, anger, confusion, and so much more. He could almost hear her mind being confused, and he swore he saw the glint of recognition in her eyes.

 

He couldn’t stop himself.

 

He launched himself towards Rey, who cried out and raised her hands to protect her face. And as his own arms wrapped around her body in a hug, he felt it again.

 

The warmth.

 

The same warmth running through his body, the warmth that he had dreamed of for so many countless nights, the warmth that he had felt so long ago, the warmth that he had lost so many years ago. The warmth that he had been pursuing relentlessly.

 

He couldn’t help himself.

  
Kylo Ren started to cry, tears pouring down his face as he lost himself in happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOT
> 
> 7 chapters in one day!
> 
> Don't expect this speed, since school is just starting up again. 
> 
> Don't forget to comment!


	8. Chapter 8

_ What. The. Fuck. _

 

Rey had never been more confused in her life. She had no idea what was going on, but what unnerved her even more was the fact that she liked it.

 

She. Liked. It.

 

She didn’t know why she loved it when this monster, this bastard, was hugging her, and she was so utterly confused.

 

It felt so good,  _ too _ good, as if she had hugged him so many times before. Memories came flooding back to her, memories of playdates on the sand, and the smell of aged, fine linen. But that was impossible. Why would she ever fraternize with a monster from the First Order? But why would she feel such comfort from such a monster?

 

She was also scared, though. Scared at how tightly this monster was holding her, as if she would just disappear into thin air.

 

She felt the love rolling off the monster hugging her, and it took her a moment to realize that he wetness she felt on her soldier was tears. That this monster was actually crying. 

 

But why? Why would a monster that killed thousands upon thousands of people cry? She was so confused about this sudden outburst of emotion. 

 

She sat there, absorbing the warmth for another second before coming up to her senses. She jabbed the monster quickly in the stomach with a well-aimed punch, and expected him to fall like all her other countless victims.

 

But he didn’t even falter. He just held onto her harder. 

 

Rey was now REALLY annoyed.

 

“Get the FUCK off of me!” she growled, her voice reaching a dangerous and low octave. 

 

Surprisingly, the monster obeyed, and she got a glimpse of his chocolate brown eyes layered with water, and tears that were still dripping from his eyes onto the floor.

 

The moment he let her go, she could feel the warmth leave, and she hated herself for missing it.  

 

“Who are you?” Rey was surprised at how calm and collected she sounded, and she knew the dangerous game she was playing. Who asks a murderer what their name was when they were one second from death?

 

The man looked surprised, as if he had expected her to recognize him instantly, and then responded in a hurt voice to match his hurt expression.

 

“Rey,”

 

Rey flinched at the way her name sounded in his mouth, so obsessive but also full of love.

 

“Don’t you remember me?”

 

“It’s me, Kylo Ren. Your little Bennie.”

 

\-------------------------------

 

Rey screwed up her face in concentration. How the fuck did Kylo Ren, the commander of the First Order know her name, and why did he say it with such love?

 

“What?” Was all she said, and she inwardly kicked herself for sounding so confused, vulnerable, and stupid. “Who’s Bennie?”

 

After those words left her mouth, the man who called himself Bennie seemed to change into a different person. His eyes darkened, his mouth set into a scowl, and she could feel anger radiate from his very body.

 

“Have you forgotten my promises?  _ Your  _ promises to me? We were supposed to have a better life together, Rey, and we could still have that life if you accept my hand.” Kylo stretched out his hands towards her position on the ground. He was pleading, almost begging. His pale hand seemed so large, large enough to cover her face.

 

Or choke her neck. 

 

Rey steeled herself, and spoke with all the menace that she could conjure up. “No thanks,  _ Bennie. _ I’d much rather go back to Resistance.” Once again, she spat at his feet.

 

All of a sudden, she felt herself being slammed into a wall, the shock causing a sharp pain in her shoulders.

 

“This,” Kylo hissed, “is how you repay me for rescuing you?” His eyes, inches from her own, brewed like a storm, while spittle flew from his mouth onto her face. He looked so unstable, so tortured, broken and insane. His eyes, so puppy-like, were searching her own. They were windows to his soul, swirling with anger and and swiftly changing between a warm chocolate brown and a powerful deep burnt ombre. Rey closed her eyes, wanting to look at anything beside his intense stare. But even when she closed her eyes, she could still feel the intensity of his stare swirling around in her mind. 

 

A minute passed. Then another. Her shoulders were getting painfully sore, and as the silence grew longer, Kylo gripped her shoulders tighter and tighter. It wasn’t until his hands started shaking her that she decided she had enough.  At what she thought was the five minute mark of complete utter silence, she opened her eyes. He was still staring at her with even more intensity, and she sighed in defeat and annoyance.

 

“If you’re not going to kill me, can’t you just let me go?” she said with great annoyance. 

  
“Never.” said Kylo with firm absoluteness. “Never again.” After saying those words, Kylo let go of her shoulders. His face changed, and he looked feral and wild, and Rey cowered back to the wall, fearful for her life. Before she had time to attack him or run for the exit, he waved his hand over her face, and slowly the world faded to black. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To quote DJ Khaled,
> 
>  
> 
> *Another One*

When she awoke, Rey was surprised to be in a soft bed, a dramatic change from the cold and hard interrogation chair that she had been in the last time she woke up. It was a peculiar feeling, the soft linen caressing her cheek, her hair splayed elegantly on the bedsheet. She savored how comfy the mattress was, a big difference from the cold, hard, and sandy ground that she slept on during her days in Jakku. After allowing herself the short daydream of days past, Rey sat up to look around what she presumed to be a prison cell. Well,  _ her  _ prison cell.

 

Looking around the spacious room, Rey decided that it was anything but a prison cell.

 

The walls, although they were a dreary combination of white, black, and gray, were pristine and shiny enough to be a mirror. On the far side of the room, she could see through a window that allowed her a great view of outlying planets and stars. 

 

There were several drawers in the room, and Rey slowly glided over and opened the drawers. Instead of being empty, they were filled with countless shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, and quite revealing lingerie.

 

Disgusted, Rey quickly shut the drawer and looked around at the rest of the room. Her eyes passed over the large bunk bed that she had recently sat on, and over the tables and furniture that she would never have use for. She did a double take when she saw the plate of food left on the central table.

 

It looked so pretty, so appetizing. The steaming mug and plates of hot food beckoned to her starving stomach, but Rey knew better than to eat. No doubt it was laced with sedatives, or even poisons.

 

Hearing the door open, Rey spun around in a panic, searching for anything that might serve as a weapon, and her eyes settled on a glass vase. She let out a sigh of relief when all she saw was a service droid, and she quickly put down the vase.

 

The droid beeped, and set about dusting the already-clean room, and setting the giant bed in the middle. When it rolled over to the tray of food, it stopped, and gave a questioning look to Rey upon seeing that it had not been touched.

 

“I’m not eating it,” scowled Rey, at the inquisitive droid. “God knows what’s in it.”

 

Beeping in understanding, the droid rolled slowly out of the room without removing the tray of food.

 

Sighing, Rey knew that she would be here for a while, a perfect time to formulate an escape. 

 

She searched wherever she could, behind the bed, underneath all the chairs, and she even picked her nails at the smallest cracks in the wall. Even in the beautiful washroom she found no weaknesses, and no razors or sharp tools she could brandish as weapons.

 

For her final hope, she debated whether or not her captives were stupid enough to leave the door unlocked. Well, one could never stop hoping. Walking over to the door, Rey laid her hand on the doorknob, hoping against hope.

 

Disappointment swept through her body when the doorknob didn’t budge an inch. 

 

Knowing it was going to be a while before anything climatic happened, Rey fell upon the freshly switched sheets, and quickly fell into the land of dreams.

 

\-------------------------

 

She woke up suddenly again, the third time. Her head hurt, for some strange reason, and she felt anger and a dark sense of foreboding ramming against the sides of her head.

 

She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew that someone was coming. Someone angry.

 

Putting aside the question of how she knew later, Rey quickly ran over to where she had last put the glass vase, but it wasn’t where she put it. Panicking, she turned around the room and found it where she perhaps last put it, on the bed table. But as she was turning around to run, she heard the door open and promptly stopped. She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

 

“Rey.”

 

It was the same dark voice she had heard before. Knowing who it was and what he could do to her, she still refused to turn around.

 

“Rey!”

 

She let out a small harrumph, showing that she wasn’t submitting anytime soon. She felt herself suddenly jerked around by the force, until she was facing her captor, the man who thought himself her  _ rescuer _ .

 

His mask was still on, and she could hear the steady huffs of his voice from his helmet. Was he angry or was he just being his weird emo self? She didn’t know until he took off his mask.

 

Angry. Very, very angry.

 

“Why haven’t you eaten?” Kylo asked, his voice low and dangerous. 

 

“Maybe I didn’t feel like it.” Rey crossed her arms and scowled with defiance.

 

Kylo quickly paced towards her, his long legs going faster than her own could carry her away. He reached forward to grab her arm with his hand, squeezing tightly, before dragging her kicking and fighting body over to the table where the food lay. He forced her to sit before the table in a plush chair, and his hands were still squeezing her shoulders with great intensity. 

 

“You need to eat.”

 

  
“I’m not eating that! For all I know, you and your monstrous friends probably poisoned it.” Kylo had not let go of her shoulders, and Rey winced with the pain.

 

As if he had felt her wince, Kylo suddenly let go of her shoulders, and moved instead to crouch beneath her chair. He gazed into her eyes, intense and begging.

 

“You. Need. To. Eat.”

 

Still, Rey pouted and turned her head to the side so she didn’t have to look at him in the vulnerable position at her feet. She could hear Kylo grunt with frustration, and she heard him rise.

 

Out of nowhere, he jammed his hand onto her hand. 

 

“Kylo! What the Fu-” Rey was cut short when she started to see visions. 

 

_ She could clearly pick out Finn, hugging a man who had just come out of what she presumed was a Resistance plane. She missed her old friend, and she welcomed the pang of loneliness in her heart as she saw the two hug and banter like old friends. The scene shifted, and she saw Han embracing an aged woman, whose wrinkles were set with power and prestige. She saw BB-8, beeping sadly in the middle of a crowd, searching, always searching, his feeble beeps and boops a sad symphony to her ears The vision zoomed out, and she saw clearly the image of a camp, the camp of which she assumed was the Resistance. _

 

Gasping, she gulped for air while Kylo removed his hand from her head.

 

“As you can see, I know exactly where your friends are. The matter of whether they live or die is up to you.” 

 

“What are you talking about? There’s no way you would know their location, since you would’ve killed them by now!” Rey was confused, but a creeping suspicion was planting seed in her heart, strangling and worrisome. She knew that Kylo could see the suspicion and dread in her eyes.

 

“You know it in your heart.” Kylo paused, and he squinted his eyes. “Now, will you eat?”

 

Scoffing, Rey crossed her arms again, attempting to assume a nonchalant position. “Kylo, your mind tricks don’t scare me.”

 

Slowly, Kylo lifted his sleeve up to his mouth. “Hux, prepare the weapon.” Rey could hear the garbled response from the other man, who sounded angry but full of determination. Kylo’s gaze never left hers, and as his lips formed to say the word that she assumed would command her friend’s deaths, she quickly made up her mind.

 

“FINE! Fine, I’ll eat! Just don’t kill my friends.” She hated the begging tone in her voice.

“Good.” Kylo sounded satisfied, and she was so tempted to deliver a justified kick to his stomach. But she couldn't risk her friend’s lives. Her role in their fate was too large, so she would just have to suck it up and suffer, while hoping for rescue. She didn’t care if she died. She would die happily if her friends were able to kill this sick bastard.

 

_ You think I’m sick? _

 

The voice in her head was so sudden, that Rey physically moved the chair’s positions by her frenzied panic. 

 

“What? What did you just do?” This was it. Rey was going crazy. 

 

_ No, no, you’re not crazy my love.  _

 

Shutting her eyes, Rey shook her head quickly, unwilling to accept this new turn of reality. She would not allow this monster into her head. As she strained in her mind, trying her hardest to shut her mind from Kylo, she felt herself pushing forward into the Force, something that she had never studied nor even done before. 

 

And as she pushed, harder and harder, she started to see images.

 

_ “Papa! Mama won’t let me play with her blaster!” _

 

_ Rey saw a young boy, whose large ears and nose were eerily similar to ones that she had seen firsthand. The man the boy was running towards to had a too-familiar smile, the one she had seen so many times on the owner of the Millennium Falcon’s face.  _

 

_ Watching a younger image of the rugged man for whom she had such great fatherly love for, Rey was confused. Even as the young man scooped the pale-skinned, black-haired boy into his arms with a loving chuckle, she still did not understand.  _

 

_ “Well, Ben, she knows that you can handle yourself.” _

 

_ It was a slap to her gut, and Rey recoiled from this major revelation. _

 

Kylo Ren was standing above her, his eyes large and wide as she had never seen them before. He was breathing heavily, and his arms and hands were shaking. Rey already knew how unstable this man was, but now she had no idea what his next action would be. 

 

She was quite surprised when Kylo Ren stalked quickly out of the door, slamming it with a great echo that reverberated around the room.

  
The food lay untouched on the table, and Rey hoped that her friends held the same fate.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus Christ midterms are killing me
> 
> PLEASE do not anticipate another chapter soon!!!!! I promise I'll try my hardest to update, so stay tuned.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is something passionate, something happy, consuming, and free.
> 
> But Love is also full of darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst, you guys want some reylo candy?
> 
> Follow me on tumblr, my usename is: lazilicious

He let himself become too weak, all because of the girl.

 

One day, she’ll be his undoing.

 

Even as he continued to walk far away from his room, he could still see her angry face, yelling at him to get off. Nothing had ever hurt Kylo Ren more than her rejection, even all the injuries and wounds she had sustained over the years couldn’t compare to that pain.

 

He had planned out an entire lavish reunion. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be happy, supposed to throw her arms around him in happiness, crooning his name softly in his ear while they slept in each other’s arms.

 

She had changed so much since he last saw her. Once a girl, she was now a full-grown woman. Her delicate freckles on her once pale face had turned a warm, golden tan from her harsh days on Jakku. When he had gripped her arm, he almost recoiled at how thin she had grown. But judging by how hard she had punched him in the stomach, he guessed that she gained quite a bit of muscle also.

 

When peeking inside her mind, he had almost drowned in all the memories of cold, hard ground on Jakku, accompanied by a strong sense of loneliness and endless nights of crying.

 

He hadn’t expected her to be so advanced in the Force already, with no training or guidance at all. It unnerved him, but he knew that he would still be able to mold and shift her into his powerful companion.

 

Speaking of the Force, it was surprising that she could peek into his mind. He would have expected perhaps a light brush, a soft peek into his mind. He didn’t expect her to see a vision of his past.

 

Seeing his father all over again, seeing himself young and innocent, Kylo felt like punching something.

 

Even worse, he didn’t feel like Kylo. He had felt like Ben when Rey had recalled that childhood vision.

 

Nodding at the Knights guarding the ancient temple, Kylo was admitted to the courtroom of his master. He suppressed the chill that ran down his spine whenever he stepped into Snoke’s throne room. For so many years he had been here, but he still felt as if he didn’t belong in this room.

 

Reaching the giant throne upon which sat his master, Kylo Ren kneeled on his knees as a sign of respect.

 

“Rise, my apprentice,” hissed Snoke.

 

Kylo stood, eager to get his knees off of the cold floor, but not as eager to look upon the face of his master. No matter how much power Snoke held, he would never be pleasing to look upon.

 

“You have the girl?”  


“Yes, master. I’ve locked her in my room.” It had taken a lot of persuading for Snoke to allow Rey to live in his quarters. She was still a prisoner, but that didn’t mean she got the treatment she deserved.

 

“How much does she know about the Force?” Snoke asked.

 

Gulping, Kylo tried quickly to think of a good response. He was afraid to tell his master about Rey’s true skill, afraid that she would be taken from him.

 

“Tell me, Kylo Ren. I see your hesitation. What is so wrong?”

 

“Nothing, my master,” Kylo said. “I am just surprised at how strong she is, after being left on Jakku for so long.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but he hoped that his master wouldn’t push it further.

 

“Good. Continue to seduce her to the dark side.” Kylo nodded his head, nearly dizzy with happiness knowing that his master had bought his lie.

 

“Kylo, do not forget who you are,” said Snoke. Kylo looked up, confused. How could he forget his own name?

 

“Her light will tempt you,” Snoke continued. “But do not fall prey to it. Prove to me the strength that you claim to hold, and do not forgo the training I have given to you.” Kylo nodded, showing his master that he understood. But Kylo was still unsure. Would his Rey really be able to hold such an influence over him?

 

When he was Ben, at his uncle’s academy, Rey had been innocent, so bright and full of life. Now, he wasn’t so sure. She looked different, which he didn’t mind. But was she still full of light? Walking back to his room, their room, he decided to find out.

 

\----------------------------

 

Rey felt strong, warm hands lift her up from her lying position.

 

Groaning, she said “not now, Finn. Five more minutes.” She sighed in content, feeling the warm hands on her face. It was so warm, so comfortable. But where was Finn’s voice? Usually, he would be attempting to drag her out of bed, mocking her sleepiness.

 

Then reality kicked in.

 

She got up with screams, kicks, and horribly aimed punches. Kylo dodged all of them, an amused expression on his face as he watched her struggle and fight. Frustrated by the lack of damage she caused, Rey threw her face into her hands and rolled around onto her belly on the bed. She had hoped that this was all just a bad dream. Unfortunately, it was the cold, hard truth.

 

“Rey, you have to come with me,” Kylo said, softly but still commanding.

 

“Where?” She got images of torture rooms, cages, and sharp and dangerous tools. She shuddered, not wanting to go back to the interrogation room.

 

“Somewhere vital to your training,” Kylo said, sounding vague.

 

Rey was confused. She voiced her concerns aloud, asking, “What training?”

 

“Don’t you want power such as mine?” Kylo asked, and she watched as he ignited his lightsaber, which threw a blood-red vibe all around the room. It flickered and sparked, just as unstable as it’s owner.

 

“No,” Rey said, still warily watching the lightsaber. “I’m good.”

 

Kylo dragged her up by her arm and deactivated his lightsaber. Rey let out a sigh of relief, glad that the saber didn’t remove any of her precious body parts.

 

“It wasn’t a choice,” Kylo said, as he put dragged Rey out of the room. She tried to resist, but he was just too strong.

 

“Where are you taking me?” Kylo said nothing but continued walking at his fast pace. “Since I’m your prisoner, can’t you have common courtesy and tell me?” She asked.

 

“Well, Rey,” he said, pronouncing her name in his mouth like it was a delicious treat. “We’re going to start your training.”

 

\----------------------------

 

As Kylo dragged her around the corner of a hallway identical to the many others that she had been dragged through, she could hear shouts, grunts, and screams of pain. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest; was she going to be tortured? She dug her heels into the smooth floor, trying to delay her untimely death.

 

Kylo sensed her hesitation and turned around to face her, a strangely worried expression on his face. “Don’t worry. You won’t be harmed.” He said.

 

When Kylo finally managed to drag her around the corner, she saw the source of the screams. Men, wearing masks and robes similar to Kylos, were sparring with each other, the light of so many differently colored lightsabers reflecting off the walls of the giant arena they were placed in. She saw a few on the ground, a few standing victorious, and many others clutching injuries. She glanced up at Kylo, about to ask about this location, but was interrupted.

 

“Kylo Ren!” A man was stalking towards Kylo, his billowing black robes mirroring Kylo’s own. What was going on?

 

“Is this the girl that you’ve been forsaking your training for?” The man asked, sneering down at Rey, looking at her like a piece of meat. “She’s just scavenger trash.”

 

Angry, Kylo pushed Rey behind him and turned to face the man with full intensity. “No, she isn’t. She’s my guest.” He was clutching Rey throughout the entire exchange, and her face was buried in his back. She found it strangely comforting, and she clutched onto the black fabric with her free hand. As if to comfort her, Kylo squeezed his other hand with his own. “Know your place, knight,” Kylo said, sneering. “Go back to your training.” As he turned around, the knight spoke out in a commanding tone.

 

“You’ve become weak, Kylo. Is that girl really as important as you make her seem?”

 

Kylo looked down into Rey’s face, and he lightly stroked her cheek. It felt odd, and Rey squirmed when his gloved hand made contact with her face. "Yes," Kylo said softly. "Yes, she is." His intense eyes gazed deeply into her own, and Rey felt dizzy and out of breath. Those eyes were so beautiful, and they revealed the torture and pain within. 

 

The sound of a saber being ignited drew both of them out of their uncomfortable contact. The knight had taken out his own lightsaber, which was colored a dark purple.

 

“I, Baku Ren, challenge you, Kylo Ren, to a duel to the death for the position of the commander of the Knights of Ren.” Kylo sighed, seemingly untouched by the possibility of his death, and ignited his own lightsaber.

 

“I, Kylo Ren, accept your challenge, Baku Ren.” After saying those words, Kylo shoved Rey, whose arms were promptly grabbed by two other knights, who looked on at the duel with grim expressions. Rey gulped, fearful of the outcome. If Kylo won, she would be unsure of her future fate. If Baku Ren won, she would be even more unsure.

 

Well, it looked like she was rooting for Kylo.

 

The two knights circled each other in the middle of the arena, and soon they had attracted the attention of all the other knights, who silently surrounded the dueling pair. Some had expressions of worry, others held expressions of glee.

 

It happened so quickly, Rey wasn’t sure if she just had blinked, or if it had actually happened. Kylo’s hand was wrapped around the other knight’s, whose lightsaber lay discarded on the ground. As she watched, Baku’s lips grew purple, and he was choking with the effort of breathing.

 

“This,” said Kylo ominously, “is a warning to all.” Without further ado, he plunged his own lightsaber into Baku’s neck, and the struggling ceased.

 

Trying to stop the bile rising in her throat, Rey watched as blood splattered all over Kylo’s face and hands and her eyes followed as Baku’s body was thrown unceremoniously onto the sandy ground, which soon also was soaked up with blood. Rey tried to shake the image of Baku’s glazed eyes, mouth frozen in his death throes, from her mind.

 

The audience scattered, the knights grumbling, seemingly unaffected by the death of one of their brothers. Training resumed, and Rey was pushed roughly forward by the two knights who had been watching over her throughout the short duel. She felt herself hit Kylo’s chest, which was also covered in blood. She looked up slowly, but quickly lowered her eyes again, scarred by Kylo’s blood-drenched face and intense eyes. He was holding her now, his arms tightly embracing her body.

 

His blood-stained hand reached up to stroke her cheek, and Rey winced as she felt the cold blood congealing on her face. Kylo lowered his face, and he kissed the hair on the top of her head.

 

“I do this for you, my love. I do this for us,” Kylo said, murmuring softly in her ear.

 

Rey closed her eyes, trapped by Kylo’s tight embrace. Her stomach still rolled with disgust, knowing one thing was certain.

 

She didn’t want this type of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First midterm tomorrow uggghhhhhh
> 
> Might update soon!!!!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is torn between what is wrong and what is right,
> 
> But she cannot deny her heart.

She stood there, trapped in the middle of his embrace, for what felt like an eternity. The blood had now hardened, and she shivered at what she imagined her face to look like. She saw once again, behind her eyes, the images of the dead knight, killed without any mercy and dumped without any respect. It was despicable.

 

“I hate you,” she softly whimpered, burying her face into Kylo’s hard chest and letting the tears silently run down her face.

 

“You hate me?” Kylo asked, his voice still soft and caring. “Good.” Rey pulled back, startled at his response. “Use that hate, Rey, show me your power.” He stepped back and spread out his arms in a vulnerable position. “Go on. Hit me. Show me your power.”

 

Rey was taken aback. What was he thinking? But she could see the determination in his eyes, and she knew that he meant what he said. 

 

She jumped when he took out his lightsaber, ignited it, and placed it in her hand. He gave a powerful weapon, of his own free will, to her. She glanced at the lightsaber, pulsing with pure power and energy. The lightsaber hummed in her hands, the vibrations running throughout her entire body.

 

She glanced at the lightsaber, then back at Kylo. She knew what she had to do. 

 

But did she want to do it?

 

Did she really want to kill him? Did she hate him that much? Could she ever harm someone?

 

Even as she looked at him now, a monster who had chained her to a cold table, who had been keeping her here as his prisoner, who had attempted to kill her friends, she couldn’t bring herself to kill another human being, albeit a sick, disgusting human being.

 

She fell to her knees, the lightsaber bouncing on the ground before coming to a rest. She covered her face in her hands, for the umteenth time that day, but she didn’t feel any tears. 

 

She just felt tired, and so weak.

 

“I knew you couldn’t, Rey,” Kylo said. But she heard no sound of triumph in his voice, no sneering happiness or sick satisfaction. Instead, he sounded relieved, calm, and content. 

 

Strong hands lifted her to her feet, strong, warm hands that she was so familiar with now. She hated herself for liking their touch, and she couldn’t deny the spark of electricity that flew between them every time they touched.

 

The ground suddenly fell beneath her feet, and she couldn’t understand why. When she hesitatingly opened her eyes, she found herself being swept in a bridal position, her head resting once again on Kylo’s chest.

 

It was so ironic.

 

Kylo’s chest seemed to be the most stable thing in her life ever since she was captured. She had leaned on it so many times already, felt the hardness and tough muscle beneath his robe. She allowed herself to close her eyes and enjoy the smooth rocking motion she felt as he carried her back to the room. She wasn’t even disgusted by the blood on her face, anymore. All was peaceful and calm, for the first time since she was captured.

 

She heard Kylo open the door, and she felt herself being laid on the bed, carefully, as if she would break any second.

 

“Stay here,” Kylo said. Hearing those words, she decided to do the complete opposite. She hoped the door was open, perfect timing for an escape.

 

Hearing Kylo enter the washroom, Rey quickly opened her eyes. She ran to the door, pulled the door knob, and-

 

It was locked. Sighing, she fell to the floor, angry and upset. 

 

It was a while before she heard the water turn off, and Kylo soon emerged from the washroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still wet, and water was dripping from beautifully sculpted chest onto the ground. 

 

Rey allowed herself to ogle at Kylo’s magnificent body build for a few moments before she ran into the bathroom, wanting to hide her blushing face.

 

As she looked in the mirror, she winced at the blood she saw. And the bruises on her wrists, the results of the many rough handlings she had received today. She quickly washed her face clean, marveling at the crystal clear water, before drying her face with the comfiest towel she had ever felt to date. 

 

When she walked out, Kylo had already changed.

 

It was so odd to see him in something besides his billowing robes. Now, he was wearing a comfy set of pajama shirts and pants. They were still black, but at least, he didn’t look so stern and unforgiving. 

 

He was lying on the bed, looking as comfortable as anyone could be.

 

“Um, what are you doing in my bed?” Rey felt strangely protective. She didn’t know why she felt so uncomfortable seeing Kylo Ren lie in the bed that she had slept in not so long ago. 

 

He didn’t look like Kylo Ren. His eyes were warm, and he had the faint image of a smile on his face. He looked so content, so happy. It was as if he wasn’t the man who had slaughtered another without a slight hint of sympathy not too long ago. It was hard to picture him as the monster that had kidnapped her and threatened her friends. He looked like what he had called himself earlier, he looked like a  _ Benni _ e _.  _

 

Kylo slowly patted the other half of the bed that he was lying on. Unsure, Rey slowly crept forward, unwilling to follow his command. She slowly sat on the bed, facing away from her. 

 

“Rey?”

 

She remained unmoving, although she was so tempted to lie down, and to finally fall asleep after such a messy day. She sighed, giving in to her fatigue, and she laid down on the bed, looking at the ceiling rather than her captor, who was lying beside her and staring intently at her face.

 

Before she could stop, she felt arms start turning her towards her enemy. She only had enough time to let out a tiny scream before falling face first, once again, into Kylo’s chest. The moment she hit his chest, she relaxed, her firsts released their tension and her eyes closed in comfort.

 

She never thought she would find herself in this position, cradled against the chest of her enemy while enjoying it.

 

She felt his chest vibrate, and she realized that he was humming. 

 

It was a familiar tune, with all the right melodies and notes.

 

She fell asleep, the song still ringing in her head. 

 

\---------------------------

 

Rubbing his eyes, all Finn wanted to do was sleep. But he wouldn’t rest well until they found Rey. 

 

The last he had seen her, she was being carried by Kylo Ren into a starship, which he assumed flew to Starkiller base. He groaned, knowing that a rescue mission would be a death mission on Starkiller base.

 

He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Poe’s warm eyes looking at him in concern. Finn knew he had dark circles under his eyes, and he knew that he hadn’t slept in a few days. 

 

“You alright, bro?” asked Poe, genuine concern in his voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Finn replied, rubbing his eyes and groaning at how tired he sounded. “I’m fine. I just need some more coffee.” Finn stood up and started making his way to the cafeteria. But before he could, he felt Poe pull him into a tight embrace.

 

The last time he had been hugged, it was by Rey. But this hug felt different. It was loving and didn’t feel the way it did when he hugged Rey. Finn knew he had much to learn about friendly contact. Ever since he had stopped using the name FN-2187, he had been learning all about the various forms of communication among friends.

 

“Don’t worry, Finn,” Poe said, rubbing comforting pats onto Finn’s back. “We’ll find her.” Finn always knew that they would find Rey one day, but it felt good to hear someone else express the same hope. 

 

“But now, you need some sleep.” Poe started dragging Finn down the hallway. Finn was confused until they reached his room.

 

“Thanks, Poe,” Finn said, opening his door. Before he could enter, a thought formed in his mind. “Wait,” Poe stopped walking and turned around to meet Finn’s eyes. “How do you know where I live?”

 

Poe’s face turned red, in what Finn realized was a blush. 

 

“I, um,” stuttered Poe, who was for once at a loss for words. “Um, word gets around, you know, and uh, people talk, I guess…” Poe awkwardly reached to scratch his neck, trying hardest to avoid eye contact with Finn. “Um, I’ll be going now, Finn.” Poe started to shamble down the hallway, back to his own room.

 

“Wait!”

 

Finn didn’t know why he called out to Poe, but he couldn’t take back the words. Poe turned around, with a confused expression. “Can you come in?” Instead of being confused, or even disgusted, Poe instead happily obliged.

 

Lying down on the bed, Finn closed his eyes. He could feel Poe awkwardly shifting his feet on the floor, unsure of what to do. 

 

“Can you just sit here with me?”

 

He expected Poe to make an excuse, or walk out the door. But instead, he felt a strong pair of hands holding his own.

 

“Don’t worry, Finn, I’ll always sit with you.”

  
And so, Finn fell asleep. For the first time since Rey had disappeared, he could find peace. Enjoying the warmth, and the steady breathing of the man next to him, Finn fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG THANK YOU, TO ALL MY GORGEOUS REYLO BABIES
> 
> Never thought I would get close to 2000 views!!!!! *wipes tears off of face


	12. Chapter 12

Finn awoke from the best sleep he had had in years by the sharp sound of his door being slammed open.

 

Startled, he sat up, and he let go of Poe’s hand.

 

_ Wait, I was holding his hand? _

 

The memories came flooding back to him. He remembered every detail, every embarrassing word that both of them spoke, and he remembered how warm he had been when falling asleep. He felt well-rested for the first time since Rey’s disappearance, and he turned his head to find the source of the noise.

 

A messenger, whose name Finn remembered as Richard, was breathing heavily, leaning on the door frame.

 

“Hey, Richard. What’s wrong?”

 

Breathing heavily, Richard had to catch his breath for a full minute before talking. “The….general….found some...important….news…” Finn barely registered the words. So many times this had happened, and he reckoned someone probably overflowed the toilet again. Then,

 

“Found….Rey…”

 

Immediately, Finn bolted up. He and Poe quickly glanced into each other’s eyes, before blushing and turning away. 

 

Without saying another word, Finn quickly put on his shoes, and ran out into the hallway, pausing only to grab a jacket. 

 

Poe’s jacket. 

 

As he ran down to the control room, he could barely contain his excitement. Finally,  _ finally, _ he could see his dear friend again. It felt like ages since they had laughed with each other, and he longed to hear that laugh again. He would do whatever it took to get her back, where she belonged, among her friends. 

 

Rushing into the control room, he looked around, and was surprised to see all the major generals in their bed gear still, and he felt slightly less ashamed. From his days on Starkiller base, he was taught to always be orderly, neat, and put together, everything that he wasn’t at the moment.

 

Even General Leia was wearing her pajamas, which were embroidered with prints of R2-D2. He would get a good laugh out of that later.

 

“I see everyone’s here,” said General Organa, in her pristine and powerful voice. Without further talk, she pressed a button on the control board, and a hologram of what Finn once considered home appeared.

 

“This,” she said, “Is Starkiller Base.”

 

Finn was confused, and he could tell by mutters throughout the room that he wasn’t the only one. Sure, they all knew it was Starkiller Base. They had been trying to find it’s weakness for the past month or so. But the general’s next words shocked him to the core.

 

“We’ve found it’s weakness.” The room was in stunned silence. “Right here.” The general pointed to a tiny chink in the base’s giant armor, a place which Finn remembered. He nearly smacked himself on the head. All this time, the solution had been in his memories.

 

The room erupted in shouts and sounds. People were roaring instructions, asking questions, and soon it was complete chaos. 

 

“QUIET!” yelled the general, and everyone quickly quieted down. All the elder generals in the room had efficiently told the younger ones stories of the younger Leia, and her violent discipline habits. 

 

“We all know what needs to be done. We’ll have to send a destruction team, and-”

 

Finn quickly cut her off. “But general, what about Rey? We can’t blow up the planet when she’s still on it!”

 

The general look annoyed, and Finn quickly mumbled a sorry, turning his eyes down to the floor. He was getting uncomfortable from all the looks he was getting from around the room. 

 

“Of course, we need to rescue Rey. From our spy intel, we have come to realize that she is being held in my so-,” the general coughed, wary of her mistake. “In Kylo Ren’s personal quarters.” 

 

Personal quarters? What did that entail? From the looks being exchanged around the room, Finn could deduce the reason.

 

“We’ll need someone to lead the rescue.”

 

Immediately, Finn’s hand shot up. The room erupted in soft chuckles, but Finn felt no shame. 

 

“Yes, Finn, I’ve already put you in charge of the rescue mission.” Finn put his hand down, almost yelling in triumph. “You will be partnered with Han Solo.” Locking eyes with his friend, who was standing across the room, Finn smiled. No one else could be better. 

 

“We also need to destroy the base. I’ve decided to put Poe Dameron in charge of the attack.” Soft applause could be heard, and Poe raised his hand in acknowledgment. Still embarrassed, all Finn gave his friend was a slight nod of the head.

 

All was silent for a few moments.

 

“Well?” The general’s annoyed voice echoed throughout out the room. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go deliver the justice that we deserve!”

 

\-------------------------------

 

BOOM

 

Rey awoke after hearing, and feeling, the loud explosion. She quickly scrambled up on the bed, finding it empty. 

 

She ignored the pang of sadness that she felt.

 

Walking over to the door, Rey tried to find an opening. 

 

Another explosion rocked the room, and Rey held onto the wall for much-needed balance. Turning on the intercom, she looked out into the hallway. Seeing a pair of stormtroopers walking her way, she shouted for their help and was rewarded.

 

“Yes, mistress?” Wait, mistress? What? She shook the confusion off, for she had a more important mission at hand. An idea bloomed in her mind, a desperate idea.

 

“You will open this door, and walk away.” She herself was surprised at how determined and collected she sounded. 

 

The stormtroopers looked at each other in surprise. “Well, ma’am, we were given orders to keep you safe in this room.” Sighing with frustration, Rey tried again.

 

“ _ You will open this door, and walk away. _ ” 

 

Something changed in the stormtroopers. Both stood straighter, then repeated her own words back to her. 

 

Rey held her breath, as she heard the door slide open with the sweet, sweet, sound of success. Following her instructions, the stormtroopers obediently turned around and walked away from her.

 

“And you will drop your weapons!”

 

“Aaaand, I’ll drop my weapon,” said both stormtroopers simultaneously, before dropping their blasters onto the floor. Holding her breath until the two walked out of her sight, Rey ran towards the weapons on the floor.

 

She remembered Han’s words, and she would do best to remember them.

 

Another boom swept her off of her feet, and she hit the floor, feeling a sharp pain in her right hip. Straightening herself, she began wobbling through the hallway. 

 

Left, right, left, right, left, right,.... Stormtroopers!

 

Ducking behind the corner, she waited with baited breath before continuing. She barely saw where she was running. She felt a pang of nostalgia when she passed a room containing the interrogation chair. 

 

A hard, sharp pain hit her in the head, and she could almost hear Kylo’s roar of betrayal, and she could almost feel the heat as he slashed up his room with his lightsaber. She knew she needed to get away, and fast. At least she had a headstart.

 

Suddenly, she hit a hard chest. 

 

_ No, no, no!  _ Thought Rey. Had he found her this fast?

 

Quickly backing up, she lifted her blaster into the face of…

 

“Finn!” She shouted, throwing her arms around him. She could her Chewie’s soft roars behind him, and Han’s soft chuckle.

 

Wait, Han Solo?

 

Pulling away from Finn, she looked into Han’s eyes. She felt an understanding happen between them. It was a conversation, and Rey knew her eyes conveyed her question. 

 

Han’s eyes seemed to nod, confirming her question. Like father, like son. 

 

Another boom shook the ship, sending all of them to the floor. 

 

“Escape first, hug later,” Han said, before setting off in a quick walk down another hallway. She and Finn looked at each other, and she shrugged.

 

Although it was simple, it was a good plan. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the result of me skipping sports XD
> 
> follow me on tumblr!
> 
> lazilicious


	13. Chapter 13

Slowing down his breathing, Kylo Ren slowly looked around the room. 

 

The walls, once so clean, were now burnt and black. The beautiful couches that the First Order had just repaired from his last tantrum were once again in pieces. He felt bad for the droid that was going to have to clean his place up. Again. 

 

In his left hand, Kylo held the only remnant of Rey that he had left. Her belt, worn and ripped from her days on Jakku, looked like a toy in his big hands. Just looking at the belt helped him calm down, and slowly he was able to calm himself down. 

 

He had found her, only to have her escape again. 

 

But why? She had everything she needed here. Why would she forsake him, leave him, and not take her place as his queen? His heart, or if he had one, would have broken in two. Kylo Ren thought he could never feel sadness again, but he did.

 

But slowly, that sadness gave way to anger. And that anger turned into power. He felt so powerful, he swore that electricity was literally bouncing off of his hands. 

 

Another powerful explosion rocked the room, and he almost lost his balance. He knew his time was running out.

 

Then he felt her. Her force signature was so much stronger now than when he had first found her again. He could almost feel her, and feel what Snoke called, “her light.”

 

Closing his eyes, he concentrated, trying to see what his love was seeing. 

 

_ He was walking, or slowly running, through a corridor. All he could see were grey walls, blinking lights, and a few black doors.  _

 

He cursed the First Order for manufacturing such similar corridors. 

 

_ “Rey! This way!” He turned his head to regard Rey’s friend, the traitor. _

 

Glancing upon the face of FN-2187, Kylo felt himself turning red with anger, and his fists were desiring to hit something. 

 

_ “I’m coming!” Rey said. As she turned, he caught a familiar view. _

 

The starship harbor. He let himself smile. Finally.

 

_ Finn was beckoning her into another corridor, and Rey felt a strong hand on her soldier. Turning around, she looked into the face of… _

 

His father. 

Kylo stood up, feeling his whole body shake with, anger? Relief? Sadness?

He didn’t even know. 

 

But he did know that he would face his father, for the final time on Starkiller Base, and one of them would not walk away. 

 

\----------------------------------

 

Rey felt him leave her mind, and she sighed with relief. She nodded to Han and Finn, who immediately understood, and they doubled back the way they came. Soon, after more running, and after stunning some stormtroopers, they found themselves near the exit. They were so close, so close to fresh air, and freedom. Just a few more steps.

 

But as they were running, they came in view of a bridge. And standing on that bridge was a familiar figure. 

 

It ignited its lightsaber.

 

Rey wasn’t sure if she wanted to run away, or run to him. 

 

Han slowly pushed Finn and her away, before setting forward at a slow pace towards his son. But as Rey glanced around, she didn’t see Chewie. Until, she found him at his sniper position, a few feet above Han and his son. 

 

“Ben!”

 

Still, Kylo Ren did not move. As Han crept closer and closer, he still did not move. Even when Han was naught but a foot away from him, he did not move. Then, his hand shot up and he-

 

Removed his helmet, to face his father. Han seemed hardly affected, looking upon his son’s face with love, care, happiness, and so many other emotions. 

 

“Will you help me, father?”

 

“Absolutely,” said Han, who was slowly stroking his son’s face, as if he was still in shock. His hands passed over the large ears, the large nose, and other features that he had passed down to his son. “Absolutely. I will do anything to help you.”

 

Even as Rey saw Kylo’s hand move, she couldn’t make a sound. Even as she saw the bright lightsaber go through Han, even as she saw Han continue to stroke his son’s face, she couldn’t make a sound. 

 

It wasn’t until she saw the man she so loved fall into the abyss that she finally screamed. It was a scream of sadness, of anger, and grief. She raised her staff, but Chewie beat her to her goal. 

 

The blast should have killed Kylo, but all he did was falter, and fall to his knees. Knowing that they had the advantage, Rey quickly grabbed Finn’s hand, and pulled him towards the exit. 

 

As she ran outside, she felt her heart tear, and tears came to her eyes as she heard Chewie’s roars of grief. 

 

\----------------------------------

 

Kylo stumbled towards the forest, sensing that Rey and the traitor were in there. He continued to beat his injury, determined to gain more power.

 

Outside, he maintained a determined expression. Although blood dripped down his robe, he kept his face calm and composed. But on the inside, it was a completely different emotion.

 

As he had killed his father, as he killed his own flesh and blood, he had felt the memories running through him.

 

_ He was begging his father for a new toy, using the giant puppy eyes he knew his father couldn’t resist. _

 

Kylo stumbled in the snow, feeling a sharp pang of pain. 

 

_ He was sitting on Chewie’s back, braiding the long hairs, giggling at the silly hairstyles he made.  _

 

He began coughing up blood.

 

_ His father allowed him to journey with him on the Millennium Falcon. He played with his figurines while Chewie and Han piloted to new worlds and new adventures.  _

 

The side of his chest, where the blaster hit, was beginning to throb, blood pouring out like rain from above. 

 

_ He was hugging his father one last time, before standing beside his uncle Luke, watching as his parents flew far, far, away.  _

 

Huffing and puffing, he stopped.He ignited his lightsaber, facing the traitor, and Rey. 

 

_ Rey. _

 

He didn’t know why she looked so afraid, so hurt. Surely she knew that he would never hurt her? At this moment, all he wanted to do was pull her close to him, to hold her to his chest and never let her go. 

 

But for now, he had to get FN-2187 out of the way. Throwing out his arm, he force-pushed Rey into the air. She screamed, and he winced when he heard her collide with the tree. But it served the purpose he wanted. She was lying in a heap on the ground, unmoving, and hopefully, unconscious. 

 

Watching the traitor cradle Rey to his chest, he felt his own heart break. Anger flowed through him again, to the point where he felt as if he would overflow. Too many emotions were flowing through him now, and in his head, different voices were egging him onto different actions.

 

As the traitor pulled out his uncle’s lightsaber, or  _ his _ lightsaber, he almost let out a snort. This traitor, hoped to be able to best him? Seeing the determined expression on the former stormtroopers face, Kylo decided that he had no choice but to fight him. 

 

Well, at least he got the opportunity to kill his opponent, and a traitor to the First Order.

 

It was over quickly. The stormtrooper had messy, unorganized slashes, and soon Kylo’s skill won over his opponent’s raw, anger-fueled energy. As he sliced the traitor straight down the spine, he gloated for a few minutes in his victory. 

 

Turning around, he located the lightsaber that should have been rightfully his. Stretching out his arm he used the Force to summon it to him.

 

But, something was wrong. Why did he feel so weak? Why wasn’t the lightsaber flying towards him, into the hands of its rightful owner?

 

The lightsaber started flying towards him, and it got closer and closer, landing in-

 

It passed his hand, and continued to sail onwards, finding a different target.

 

The hand of a determined-looking Rey.

  
Her eyes were intense, feral, but he could see a cold sense of determination in them. If he wasn’t Kylo Ren, he would have been scared.

 

As Rey ignited the lightsaber, its blue color reflecting off of the snow, he laughed at how cute she looked, holding a weapon she barely knew how to use. Well, after her training under him, she would be able to wield that powerful weapon, and many would fall beneath her sword. 

 

Kylo decided to give her a taste of true power, of what she could gain from him. Thumping his side again, Kylo hissed through his teeth, relishing in the pain that would bring him more power.

 

Then, Rey lunged towards him, faster than light itself.

 

He barely had time to parry her attacks. They were coming at him in flurries, one after the other. Her face was set in an expression of grief for her fallen friend, but her adrenaline helped fuel her attack. 

 

It was laughably cute the way she fought. She wielded the lightsaber like a staff, not choosing to slash but instead stabbing and sweeping like it was the weapon she used on Jakku.

 

He saw so many openings in her fighting style, so many different ways he could have already killed her. But there was no way he ever would. He let her slash to her hearts content until he had her pinned in front of an abyss. 

 

“You need a teacher!” He yelled. He saw her own eyes, full of fear, and in her irises he could see the reflection of his red lightsaber. She was breathing quickly, pants coming out like a wild animal pinned to a wall.

 

He saw her close her eyes, and slow her breathing. 

 

He felt the force hit him, as strong as a wave of absolute power.

 

Feeling the force flow through him, he felt changed. Then, his own breathing changed, until he was breathing in unison with Rey. They stood there for a while, Rey closing her eyes, and both feeling the force roll through their bodies, pulsing with strength and warmth.

 

They felt like one body. 

 

It felt like the world had changed, as if the very fabric of the universe had changed. 

 

Then, emotions that were not his own flowed into him. All of a sudden, he could feel Rey’s anger, fear, determination, and all her other emotions that flowed through so quickly, making him dizzy. 

 

Then, when Rey opened her eyes, he could tell that she had made a decision. One not in his favor. 

 

As Rey once again launched herself towards him, he felt the advantage on the battlefield shift. He, already wounded and nearly bled out, barely had enough strength to push back Rey’s Force-powered attacks. 

 

Then, he felt the searing pain in his face, and his vision was immediately clouded by the blood that was dripping into his eyes. Blinded, he fell into the snow.

 

_ So, this is where it ends. _

 

Surprisingly, he felt peaceful. He could hear the hum of Rey’s lightsaber, about to deliver the final death strike. But this moment was probably the most peaceful moment he had ever felt in his entire life. Closing his eyes, all he felt was relief. 

 

He heard the hum come closer, and closer, and he heard her breath next to his ear.

 

Then, Rey kissed him on the forehead and ran swiftly off into the forest.

 

Surprised, Kylo managed to support himself on his elbows. His forehead burned where Rey had kissed him. 

 

He watched her run through the forest, back to the Millennium Falcon, back to where her friends and the resistance. 

 

He watched as she left him, for the second heart-breaking time in his life. 

 

Even from the back, as she was running back to the ship, all bloodied, bruised, and wet, she still looked like an angel. She was still radiating light, and she still looked so pure, and beautiful. Even as she groaned with the effort of carrying the traitor, she still was the most beautiful thing on earth.

 

He could never get tired of looking at her.

 

Finally, his blood loss and his injuries caught up with him, and he quickly blacked out. But before he finally succumbed to the darkness, he reached out his hands, desperate to have one final taste of the light. 

 

One more taste of Rey.


	14. Chapter 14

Rey, once she boarded the Millennium Falcon, lowered Finn on the bed and immediately fell to the floor, then began to sob.

 

She didn’t know why she was crying. Was she finally happy to have escaped? Was she crying because of the wounds she had caused to Kylo? Was she crying because of the death of Han Solo?

 

She could hear BB-8 rolling over to her, beeping noises of curiosity. Suddenly, she felt its antenna poke her in the eye.

 

“Ow! BB-8!” Rubbing her eye, Rey looked down at the droid that had landed her in this mess. But, she still loved it.

 

Rubbing it’s head against her, Rey started to laugh, putting her tears behind her. Realizing her duties, she walked slowly to the co-pilot seat, next to Chewie. 

 

[ _ Little one, are you all set to drive?] _

 

“Don’t worry, Chewie. I’m fine.” Rey said, pushing all her yet unshed tears deep within herself, determined not to let anyone see. Getting into the seat, she managed to remember how the ship worked, and soon they were flying far away.

 

Looking back at her prison, Rey felt a sharp twinge of regret, seeing the planet explode.

 

A tiny part of her hoped that Kylo Ren perished along with the planet.

 

But, a bigger part of her hoped that he had managed to escape. 

 

Her lips still burned from when she had kissed Kylo. She didn’t know what caused her to be so spontaneous and passionate. Maybe it was a final goodbye, or just a really passionate ‘fuck you’. 

 

Rey decided on the latter. 

 

Soon, they came to a camp that she recognized from Kylo’s vision. It was exactly the same down to the correct colors and placement of each maintenance building. Chewie gently guided the ship down to the landing pad, and Rey quickly shut down the systems.

 

Steeling herself for what might be behind the door, Rey took a deep breath. BB-8 beeped at her feet, offering words of encouragement. Looking behind her shoulder, she caught a quick glance of Finn, slumped over the shoulder of a very annoyed-looing Chewbacca.

 

Then, before she could turn back, she opened the ship’s door and stepped out.

 

As she had expected, then was quite a crowd of people. Some were murmuring, wondering who the newcomer was. Others, like the aged general whom she had seen in her visions, were looking at her as if they were expecting such a visitor. 

 

As she got closer to the woman, she realized that she looked so familiar. 

 

“Rey,” said the woman. “I’m General Leia Organa.” Rey almost squealed with delight. Was she really standing in front of the legendary princess of Alderaan? She managed to keep herself composed, and shook the woman’s hands.

 

The general’s eyes focused on Chewie and Finn, then they darted back to the ship’s entrance. She seemed to be waiting for another, and Rey knew exactly who it was.

 

“He fell.” She said quietly. “He fell, as the brave man he was, defending his cause and his beliefs.” Rey failed to mention the man who dealt the final blow, or the fact that it was his son. 

 

“Yes.” The general’s voice was soft, and reserved. “Yes. I know.” The general turned her sad eyes back up to Rey’s, and Rey could almost taste the heartbreak in the air. “I felt it in the force, but I still clung unto my foolish hope.”

 

Saying nothing, Rey bit on her inner cheek, trying to think of anything to comfort the poor general. 

 

“Was it my son?” Rey let the surprise show on her face, before responding. 

 

“Yes, it was Kylo Ren.”

 

Laughing, the general shook her head. “No, my dear. To me, he is still my darling son, Ben. Surely you still think of him as the small Bennie you used to play with so many summers ago?”

 

For the second time, Rey heard the mysterious name Bennie, and she still had no idea how she was connected to him. 

 

“I’m sorry, General.” Rey said, shaking her head sadly. “I seem to have no recollection of this Bennie that everyone is reminding me of.”

 

This time, the general looked surprised. 

 

“Well, it looks like we have some work to do.” The general lightly took Rey’s hand, before pulling her into a nearby building. 

 

“Wait! What about Finn? I need to get him to the infirmary!” Rey glanced back, determined to get her friend the care he desperately needed.

 

“Don’t you worry child. He will be taken care of. In the meantime, we have more important things to do.”

 

“Like what?”

 

Finally reaching a door, the general turned to face her. 

 

“My child, haven’t you heard of Luke Skywalker? I reckon it’s about time you finished your training.”

 

\----------------------------------

 

When he opened his eyes, Kylo Ren felt like a new man. 

 

He found himself on a cold, sterile, table, with a needle attached in his arm. Ripping it out, he heard the soft beeping that would no doubt alert the medical team. But for now, he had bigger concerns.

 

Mainly, Rey.

 

Ignoring how weakened he fealt by the force, he reached out into their bond, searching for his beloeved.

 

It would be hard to pass the light that she emitted, and he immediately found her. Zeroing in on her mind, he focused and opened his own mind.

 

_ Rey seemed to be in a control room, and he knew she was now with the Resistance. Seeing all the traitors and various half-breeds run around, he snarled with disgust. _

 

_ He saw his mother’s face, which was just as strong and determined since the last time he saw it. No doubt she had heard of her husband’s death by now, but she did not let the sorrow show. _

 

_ She really hadn’t changed. _

 

_ “My child, haven’t you heard of Luke Skywalker? I reckon it’s about time you finished your training.” _

 

The sound of the door being opened alerted Kylo to his own surroundings. A droid was rolling in, holdings robes in its arms. Getting up from the table, and ignoring the sharp pain that crossed his side, he grabbed the robes and immediately started putting on the familiar black garment.

 

Lastly, he looked for his helmet. 

 

“My helmet?” he asked the medical droid. When it didn’t respond, he knew of its fate. No doubt it had fallen with his father on Starkiller Base. Without his helmet, he felt naked, almost vulnerable. And now, with the giant scar on his face, all would know of his defeat and failure. 

 

“Tell the tech lab to build a new one for me,” Kylo addressed the droid. “Same style, same color, same everything.”  The droid beeped in acknowledgement of its new orders. “Tell them to make it their top priority.”  Tilting its head in respect, the droid slowly rolled out of the exit.

 

Kylo felt lost, not knowing what to do or where to go. This new base looked like Starkiller Base, but he knew there was no way the First Order could have built a base as large as the last one in such a short amount of time.

 

_ Come to me, my apprentice. Face your punishment. _

 

A series of visions came to Kylo’s eyes, and he knew they were directions to Snoke’s new habitat.

 

Following the visions that he had been sent, Kylo walked slowly to the throne room. He wondered what Snoke had in mind as his punishment.

 

He also wondered if it was the same two guards who guarded Snoke’s throne room back at the old base. It was funny, because he was no longer able to discern between each individual stormtrooper.

 

Walking into the new throne room, Kylo could see the differences. For one, it was smaller, way smaller, and it was nowhere as cold as the last one. He welcomed both of these changes.

 

“I see you have finally come.”

 

Kylo bowed to his knees.

 

“Are you ready to accept the punishment for your failures, my apprentice?”

 

Gritting his teeth, Kylo said “Yes, master, I am ready.”

  
When Kylo felt the sharp pain invade his mind again, he welcomed it. At least one thing in his life was predictable.


	15. Chapter 15

 

Rey could feel something, or someone, in her mind while she was talking to the general. But, by the air of aggorance and unbridled anger, he knew immediately who it was. It seemed that Kylo Ren hadn't perished along with Starkiller base. She would have to break the news to the general and the Resistance soon. 

"Rey, I would like for you to meet Poe," said the General. An olive-skinned man trotted up to take his place by the general's side, and he nodded respectfully to Rey. "Poe is a resistance pilot," the general continued. "He was in charge of the air attack while Finn and Han were supposed to rescue you." Knowing that her escape would have been impossible without Poe's help, she smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you," she said, and she knew that Poe could hear the genuine thankfulness in her voice. 

But inside her mind, she felt anger rolling, and her own vision blurred with red. 

 

 _Kill him,_ said her thoughts.  _KIll this wicked man!_ Power coursed through her body, giving her the energy she needed to carry through your attack. The power was so raw, so bitter, so angry, and it made her feel so alive. For the first time since she left Jakku, she felt powerful.

 

Then, as the general spoke again, she came to her senses.

 

"-and I figure that's how Poe launched the attack. Isn't it?" Poe nodded, not taking his eyes off of Rey. His eyes seemed calculating, and she knew that he hadn't missed a moment of her inner struggle. 

 

She had to curl her fists at her side to stop herself from launching an attack upon Poe. She felt wrong, violated, that someone elses thoughts could affect her own mind and her actions like this. No one was safe around her anymore. She could kill anyone at any moment, even Finn. Bile rose in her throat when she thought about the possibility of killing her best friend.

 

She had to ask Luke Skywalker how to fix this.  She didn’t know if she could keep up with the emo monster that seemed to take a liking to her.

 

But even there in the control room, surrounded by people whom she considered as friends and allies, she still could feel every electric touch that happened between her and Kylo Ren.

 

When she closed her eyes, she almost moaned at the memory of soft hands, and warm touches, and Kylo’s strong and supportive chest.

 

“Rey?” When she opened her eyes, Rey saw General Leia looking her with a confused expression. Poe, however, still held his calculating glance upon her eyes. Had she really daydreamed for that long?

 

Feeling her cheeks turning red, Rey mumbled an excuse, something along the lines of “I’m tired.”

 

Leia seemed to buy it, and she instead led Rey out of the control room, and down another hallway. Poe excused himself, and Rey let out a sigh of relief when his eyes finally left hers. Walking down the hallway with the general, Rey took in the battered hallways of the main building. They were less pristine and way more older than the corridors at Starkiller Base, but these ruined hallways felt much more like home. After walking for a short while, Rey stopped with Leia, in front a door that looked as if it had seen better days.

 

Opening the door, Leia showed Rey her first glimpse of her new room.

 

Rey already loved it.

 

The bed was already worn, but it had a comfortable look. She had a window, which gave her access to a beautiful view of the forest, and even as she looked now, she could see the animals flitting around on the ground and in the trees. In the corner was a couch, which looked perfect for dreary, stormy nights, and seemed like a great place to watch holovids. She saw another door, which she assumed was the washroom.

 

The general had seen all of Rey's expressions of awe from her new room, and she lightly chucked, happy that Rey finally felt at home. The general always felt a pang of sympathy whenever she looked upon Rey, and she was reminded of her own days as prisoner of a tyrannical order. Clearing her throat, she demanded Rey's attention. “So, this will be your new room. How do you like it?”

 

Rey opened her mouth to respond, but then the pain hit.

 

Gasping, Rey fell to her knees. It felt as if her mind was being split in two, as if someone was physically stretching and pulling on it. When she closed her eyes, giving in to the pain, she thought she saw glimpses of a dark, throne room, and fast-paced pictures of past events.

 

Han falling into the abyss, and even her own, bloody face, covered in snow and framed against the trees on Starkiller Base. She saw Finn fall at the hand of her own red lightsaber, heard her best friend scream in pain at the lightsaber's burning pain, and she felt the pain in her side when she was hit with Chewie's blaster. More visions ran across her vision, and she groaned at all the pain, anger, and other emotions she felt flowing through her. 

 

Thankfully, the pain subsided. When she opened her eyes, Leia was looking at her again. Rey knew what the general was thinking. No doubt she thought her mad.

 

“Sweetie, you look like you need some rest.”

 

Rey was too tired to object, and she allowed the general to gently lead her to her bed. The general’s touch was soft and gentle, while also being firm and supportive.

 

Lying down, the general slowly smoothed Rey’s hair, and patted her forehead.

 

“Come to the control room when you wake up sweetie,” said the general, who stooped down to place a kiss on her forehead. “For now, you need your rest.”

 

As she faded into darkness, Rey couldn’t help but think that Leia was the mother that she never had.

 

\----------------------------------

 

It was the same routine as always.

 

Stab the mind, then hurt the flesh. Snoke had sent Kylo to the training barracks, no doubt wanting to add physical injury to accompany his mental injuries.

 

Walking into the training barracks, Kylo was met with unusual silence. He knew all the knights were looking at the scar on his face, no doubt wanting confirmation of his failure.

 

“What are you all looking at?” Kylo growled, his voice low and dangerous. The knights quickly lowered their gazes, fearful of Kylo’s anger.

 

But one knight dared not to. Kylo remembered his name to be Loman, Baku’s close friend on the battlefields. No doubt he harbored ill feelings toward him because of his friend’s death.

 

Expecting another challenge to duel, Kylo was surprised and angered when Loman took the conversation to a different direction.

 

“Defeated by a youngling, eh?” Sneered Loman. “Not just a youngling, but scavenger trash.” Kylo felt his face grow tense, the scar prickling. “Guess you’ll never really be as powerful as Darth Vader, Kylo Ren.”

 

Chuckling to himself, Loman didn’t see Kylo’s face change, but he felt the anger and the spite that was vibrating throughout the air, coming off of Kylo. Dueling knights stopped suddenly, and shuddered at the change in the atmosphere.

 

“She is not just a scavenger.” Kylo said, spewing each word out with anger. “She is to be my future partner.” Satisfied at the shocked expressions on each knight’s face, he walked to the center, and dramatically ignited his lightsaber.

 

“Now, who wants to die first?”

 

\----------------------------------

 

Stumbling away to his room, Kylo tried his hardest to ignore the fresh wounds he had gotten. But, no matter how much he tried, the scar on his face still hurt with the pain of many ages, and the wound on his side throbbed.

 

Finally reaching his room, he quickly removed his cloak and his robe, then fell onto his bed, wearing nothing but his trousers.

 

He loved this time of the day. He loved the peace, the solitude, the absence of violence. He quickly cleaned himself in his washroom, rinsing the blood of his most recent wounds. Ignoring his old wounds and now permanent scars, he looked up, feeling disgusted, only to see the giant scar on his face.

 

Every time he looked at his scar, he was reminded of her. Every time he touched it, he would see visions, ranging from the happy, tiny, innocent Rey to the stubborn, powerful, beautiful Rey of their most recent encounter.

 

But it didn’t matter which Rey he saw every night in his dreams, they were all so beautiful to him. They all held the same light, the same happiness, and they all made him feel such strong emotions inside.

 

Emotions, something Snoke had banned him from feeling, came to him through Rey. Through their bond he felt every single emotion of hers, every single dizzying, complicated feeling.

 

Now, he could feel her happiness, and he closed his eyes to see her talking at the bar on a distant planet with another Resistance fighter, one whose eyes held the lust that he too always held. Jealousy burned deep within him, but he was immediately comforted when he felt Rey remove herself from the bar, with a slight taste of disgust. Smiling, he reclined in the bed, relieved that she was still his alone.

 

Even as he lay in bed, he still ran his fingers over his scar, feeling the pain that his love had afflicted. It was such a strange thing, the line between love and hatred. So easily blurred, so easily confused and combined.

 

Closing his eyes, he wondered which Rey he would see today.

 

\----------------------------------

 

Tonight, it was the womanly Rey, the future Rey, who visited him in his dreams. He was lying in the same bed that he had fallen asleep in, but he was cuddling with a visitor, a wanted visitor.

 

He sighed, content that he could have what he wanted in his dreams. His Rey moved closer to him, snuggling into his side, and rubbing on his groin. He groaned, for once allowing the lust to flow through his body.

 

Rubbing her hair in his hands, he marveled at the softness, the smoothness, the pure beauty. But as beautiful as her hair was, it couldn't compare to her face.

 

Willed on by his thoughts, dream Rey turned around to face him, her arms now placed on his chest. She fit so perfectly in his body, and he in hers, almost like yin and yang, black and white.

 

He could fix her imperfections in his dream. He could easily clear her sun-tanned freckles and scars, and make her the most perfect woman in the universe. But to him, her imperfections made her so beautiful to him, and reminded him to accept his own.

 

So, he laid with Rey, stroking her cheek gently in his dream. Rey closed her eyes, and remained perfectly still to allow Kylo to continue his daily ritual. It was always her cheeks first, and he had to stroke both her right and left ones at the same time, gently.

 

Then, it was the neck. The graceful, long, elegant neck. Whenever Rey turned her head, her neck would move in a fluid motion, which was so beautiful that even a choir of angels could not do justice. A poet would weep at the slightest motion of her neck, and epics and books could be written on its grace and elegance.

 

Tracing the delicate line from her neck, Kylo passed over her prominent collarbones, sharp but poised, just like her. He moved on, tracing over to her shoulders. This was his favorite part.

 

Dream Rey reached out her arms, and slowly tweaked his ears, then his nose. When she touched him, he could feel the warmth linger like steam on a cold winter’s day.

 

But, as he reached down to touch Rey’s best areas, the most womanly part of her chest, he was rudely interrupted.

 

There was another person in his dream, and he could feel their presence. Panic rose in his chest; did Snoke discover his secret?

 

But looking up, it was not Snoke who was watching the pair in surprise.

 

It was actual Rey. But unlike dream Rey’s happy, satisfied attitude, hers was pure anger, and raw hatred, with a heavy dose of confusion.

 

  
“What are you doing here?” Both asked, at the same time.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave thoughts in the comments below!!!!!!!
> 
> They really help me to think and write.
> 
> Thanks for all your support!!! Never thought I would ever hit more than 3000 hits!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should this be a stand-alone novel or the first in a series????
> 
> I could make it a super long "book" or a short novel with a sequel....
> 
> Put your opinon in the comments below!

Rey didn’t know what to expect when she fell asleep that night. Lately she had been seeing odd visions, of waves crashing against the harsh shore and an ocean of endless water, with the smell of freshly washed Jedi robes. But none of her visions compared to this. 

 

If she was in another situation, she would have scoffed and laughed at the expression of pure confusion on Kylo Ren’s face. But this was not any normal situation. She would much rather prefer another lightsaber duel than this. 

 

“What am I doing here?” Kylo scoffed, indignant. “This is my dream,” he motioned to the woman beside him, whom Rey realized was a version of herself. She was taken aback by the woman who resembled her, so closely but also so different. 

 

This Rey had such a happy expression on her face, Rey immediately felt jealous. How could one be so happy, so free and unbound in this world full of tortures? Then she saw the other Rey’s hand still on Kylo’s chest and she rolled her eyes. How cliche.

 

“Wait,” Rey asked, after having a sudden realization. “If this is your dream, how am I in it? Both me and that Rey.” Rey pointed to the happier version of herself with both curiosity and jealousy. 

 

“You haven’t realized?” Kylo asked, before turning to the other Rey. Real Rey gagged at how lovey-dovey they were, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes.

 

“It’s all because of the force bond you made.” Kylo nodded to the dream Rey, who immediately faded into nothingness. Then, he turned to face real Rey. 

 

“What do you mean when you say I made it?” Rey angrily said. 

 

“Weren’t you the one who connected with the force at the edge of that abyss?” Kylo asked.

 

“Weren’t you the one who went all “you need a teacher?”” Rey shot back.

 

Running his hands through his hair, Kylo sighed, and Rey could hear how tired and pained he was. “You need an entire explanation, and you really do nee-”

 

“No. No, please don’t say it, Kylo.”

 

“You need a te-”

 

“Kylo, I swear to the forces above!!” Rey was almost spitting with anger now, daring Kylo to say it. 

 

“YOU NEED A TEACHER!” Kylo spat out his command so quickly and suddenly, that Rey took a few steps back. In that moment, he had the same crazy intense eyes that Rey had seen when he said the same words so long ago.

 

“No. No teaching until you tell me what is going on.” Rey tapped her foot, impatient.

 

“Okay, listen to me,” Kylo reached for Rey’s hand, forgetting that this wasn’t dream Rey, but actual Rey. Rey pulled back, startled, and Kylo flinched at the disgust and anger on her face. “Sorry, natural dream instincts.”

 

Snorting, Rey waved her hand, silently commanding Kylo to continue.

 

“When we were face to face at that abyss, something happened,” Kylo began. 

 

“I know something happened, Kylo. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”

 

Kylo couldn’t repress a shiver when Rey said his name. Ignoring Rey’s confused expression, he started to explain. 

 

“You are new in the force, young and inexperienced. When you reached out with the force that day, you were opening yourself to connections.”

 

“What type of connections?” Rey asked. Motioning around him, Kylo showed her the answer. 

 

“Ok, okay, sorry for interrupting,” Rey said. “Continue.”

 

“You opened yourself with such pure power that my own Force became attracted to yours. I couldn’t prevent it, so save your breath.”

 

Trying to find a comeback, or even words for her to vent her anger upon, Rey opened her mouth stupidly, then shut it when she found herself at a loss for words. She reall couldn't think of any arguments, or any debates. 

 

“Now, we’re tied together. I’m sure you’ve sensed me in your mind at certain times, and I know that you’ve felt my emotions.” 

 

“You mean your pain,” Rey said, a bit of pity in her voice. Kylo didn't respond, but just hung his head to face the floor. He had tried his hardest to shut her out from the pain, but some of it must have trickled through. “But, more importantly, how do we sever this?”

 

Kylo gulped, not wanting to end this with Rey. 

 

“Kylo, I swear, you better tell me,” Rey commanded, and Kylo was once again taken aback by her stubborn beauty. 

 

She opened her mouth again, but before she could speak, Kylo quickly told her what he honestly knew.

 

“I honestly don’t know, Rey,” Kylo said, speaking the truth. “I really don’t know how.” Even if he did know, he would never tell. It was too beautiful what they had together, too important and too wonderful. He didn't want to sound selfish, but he wanted to suffer through the darkness with someone by his side. 

 

Rey sighed, and collapsed onto the floor, disappointed. Kylo, seeing her own disappointment and sensing her sadness, felt it too. 

 

“Alright, I can’t deal with this anymore,” Rey said, sounding quiet and so tired. “I’m leaving.” But after she said those words, a blush crept into her face. Kylo openly smirked, and he knew her next words. 

 

“Kylo?” Saying nothing, Kylo leaned back and savored his victory. “How do I leave?”

 

A moment of silence, then, “You don’t, Rey.” He felt her confusion through his bond, and he continued. “You have to stay until I wake up.”

 

“Well, what am I supposed to do? Be your prisoner again?”

 

“You’re welcome to do whatever you like, Rey. You’re my guest.” Gesturing around the room mockingly, he leaned back, and Rey’s awkwardness was almost suffocating. So, he moved over on the bed, and patted the side he had just left. 

 

“Well, are you just going to sit on the cold ground?”

 

“Really, Kylo? You expect me to lay in the same bed as you? Not three days ago I was attempting to kill you!”

 

“It’s a dream, Rey. We could have sex for all I care, and it wouldn’t be real at all.” Of course, he didn't mention that he really did care if they had sex. He could practically feel her blush, feel the heat flowing into his own cheeks. Then, he realized,

 

_ She was still a virgin. Perfect. _

 

She was shuffling her feet, wanting to be comfortable but also not wanting to be near him at all. Eventually, her cold behind won. He felt her sidle onto his bed, her weight shaking the bed for a slight moment.

 

“Alright, you win,” Rey said, and Kylo reached out his arms to wrap around her waist. But before he could carry through,

 

“And NO touching, Kylo! I know this is a dream, but you still have to keep your hands to yourself. If you do touch me, I’ll kick you in the balls.” 

 

Sighing, Kylo resorted himself to his own side of the bed with great difficulty. It was going to be a long night, in a long dream. 

 

But sometime later, when he heard Rey’s breathing turn constant and smooth, he gently pulled her closer to his body, and let out a sigh of relief when neither screamed nor punched him in the balls as she had promised.

 

It felt different than his dream Reys did. While dream Rey was light and delicate like a cloud, real Rey was heavy, sturdy, and quite real. She was like an anchor, and he was pulling himself out of his own darkness using her light.

  
Closing his eyes, he felt happy, satisfied, and the most comfortable man in the world. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!!!!
> 
> THERE IS GOING TO BE A RAPE SCENE IN THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!
> 
> IF THIS OFFENDS YOU, THEN SKIP THIS CHAPTER!!!!!

When she next awoke, she was lying on her own bed. Looking around, she saw no trace of the dream that she had been in, and she heard nothing from the voice of Kylo Ren.

 

Kylo Ren. The man she had just lain in bed with.

 

Rey was new to the idea of a man and woman sleeping together, having no time for dating or fumbling while she was struggling for survival on Jakku. Sure, she had heard stories and seen proof in the form of women’s pregnant bellies, but she had never experienced it. 

 

Some said it was a beautiful thing of life, while others gave pictures of a horrendous, ashaming, and painful act. 

 

She had, however, felt a sharp pang of jealously when she saw Kylo and herself on the bed together. That Rey seemed so happy, to be in the bed of her enemy. Even Kylo, who was always dark, moody, and eager to kill something, seemed happy, with an expression she hadn’t thought possible to appear on his face.

 

Not to mention that they were cuddling, stroking each other’s cheeks, and other open displays of love. She wasn’t sure whether to gag, or give in to the jealously that was brewing inside of her. 

 

Maybe if there was no First Order or Resistance, and maybe if there wasn’t a giant war that could kill all of them, dream Rey could easily become the real Rey. There could be romantic Friday nights, and a happy future together.

 

Shaking her head, Rey knew that such thoughts were too dirty. Really? Her and Kylo Ren together? She knew deep inside that he was a part of her childhood, an important figure, but she still didn’t know who. 

 

Remembering the general’s promise of meeting Luke Skywalker, Rey decided that she would finally get the answers and actions she needed. 

 

Shrugging on a warm jacket, Rey stepped out into the hallway, before tentatively making her way to the control room. Trying hard to remember the way, she looked for familiar landmarks.

 

But after a while, she knew she was lost. Hearing a familiar chirp, she spun around.

 

“BB-8!” She ran to the droid who turned at the sound of his name, and she scooped him up into her arms.

 

The droid was still the same happy machine that she had last seen after the destruction of Starkiller Base. Beeping, whirring, and with a bent antenna.

 

“Your antenna’s bent.” BB-8 chuckled, with short beeping noises.

 

“No, seriously, it is,” Rey said, and lightly placed BB-8 on the floor before squatting down. “Here, let me fix it.”

 

Once she had straightened the antenna, she stood back up. “BB-8,” the droid unit lifted its camera eye to look at her face. “Do you happen to know where the control room is?” 

 

“BEEEp, boOoop BeeeP.”

 

“Oh really, you’re going there now? Lead the way, I’ll follow you.” The BB-8 unit rolled down the hallways, and Rey took great care in remembering the way this time. Several generals and fighters stopped and greeted BB-8, while giving Rey a respectful bow, their eyes full of pity.

 

She knew what others said about her. She knew what they murmured to each other, voices low and full of pity. She knew the allegations they made. After all, she was Kylo Ren’s prisoner. And, she was a woman. Everyone knew what the First Order did to female prisoners…

 

At last, they reached the control room. General Organa was already there, standing at the control board she always manned, her eyes upon the giant hologram of the universe. Several places were highlighted in red; probable new bases for the First Order. 

 

“Greetings, general,” said Rey, who bowed in a respectful gesture. Beside her, BB-8 chirped a salutation. 

 

“You need not bow to me, sweetheart,” chuckled the general. “I’ve left my old title of princess far, far behind.” She smiled gently, and Rey was reminded of how softly the general had stroked her head by her bedside. 

 

The general’s light mood was infectious, and Rey found herself smiling. 

 

“What’s the agenda today, General?” Rey hoped inside that she would be meeting her new master, Luke Skywalker.

 

“Well, as you know from your adventures, BB-8 has been entrusted with a part of the map leading to my brother.” BB-8 chirped beside her, confirming that he did indeed have the map. Hearing the general refer to her brother, Rey was struck with awe, knowing that all the legends, stories, and myths she had heard on Jakku were real. While Princess Leia had indeed aged, her face still held power and pride. 

 

“The problem is,” the general continued, “the map that BB-8 held is not any part of the known universe.” She clicked a button on her control panel, bringing up BB-8’s map.

 

“It just doesnt fit. We’ve tried all the galaxies in our system.” Sighing, Rey knew that it was going to be a while before she met her master. 

  
“What can I do to help, general?”

 

“Rey, I believe your fighting skills can help the Resistance.” Rey gripped her staff tighter in her hand. 

 

_ Hmph. What fighting skills? You fight like a cornered rabbit. _

 

She had gotten used to his snide remarks now. It was like he was a second mind, speaking bad advice and turning a good day into a bad one.

 

_ Bad advice? Rey, I’m hurt. _

 

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Where will I be fighting?”

 

“We think there’s a possibility that the First Order has established a back-up base on this planet, Caroogalin.” The general pulled up a hologram of the planet. “You’ll be with Chewie, and scouting the planet with for hostile members.”

 

“Will I have any back-up troops?”

 

“Yes, I’ve stationed Poe Dameron with you. He’ll be leading a squadron of air pilots.”

 

Ugh. Rey didn’t know if she could stand Poe’s calculative glances for so long. She had to at least try, though.

 

“Yes, general. I’ll get the Falcon ready.”

 

\--------------------------

 

Poe still couldn’t get the girl out of his mind. He knew something was off about her. Why was she so quiet about her captivity on Starkiller Base? Under Kylo Ren, she must have faced horrific tortures.

 

But, she had come back unharmed. Something was off, she was too calm and collected. When he came back from his interrogation with Kylo Ren, he had to lay in the hospital wing for quite some while. 

 

Maybe she was a spy?

 

He had seen her eyes twitch when she talked with General Leia. Force-sensitives were trained in the art of speaking into each other’s minds, and he knew from rumors that Rey could wield a lightsaber and use the force.

 

If she was a spy, that would explain why she spared Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base. She could have easily ended his life, but she chose to let him continue living, giving him the chance to slay thousands more.

 

“You okay, Poe?” asked Finn. 

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m okay.”

 

Finn had been hanging on to him these past days. More than necessary. Poe swung towards both men and women, and he recognized attraction when he saw it. And if he was the judge, Finn was drowning in it. Poe, however, didn’t know if he could reciprocate that attraction. 

 

The next few days would be an advantage. Working together with Rey, he would be able to see what she really was. All he needed was the tool of surprise, and he could catch Rey in the act. 

 

\--------------------------

 

Snoke drummed his fingers on his throne, contemplating his apprentice.

 

Oh, he was very proud of his apprentice’s skill at hiding information from him. But, Snoke always did get what he wanted, and Kylo’s most private dreams were all in his own head now.

 

Every night, it was the same girl. The girl whom had escaped his clutches. It was a shame; he had great things planned for that girl. With her power, the universe would finally be in his clutches. 

 

But she was risky. She was too filled with light, and she would be too hard to break. She was a weakness, and she held his apprentice in her claws. She was Kylo Ren’s true weakness, and she had to be eliminated immediately. 

 

Snoke knew he had an advantage. Kylo Ren was weak in his attraction to her, and she was untrained in the force and very vulnerable. All it would take to ruin her was a simple dream, a simple illusion.

 

\--------------------------

 

It had been a few days since she had been sent to scout Caroogalin. Unlike the desert sands of Jakku, this planet was filled with bogs, and nasty marshes. She had so many mosquito bites, she was constantly itching and slapping her skin. 

 

Sure, the mosquitoes were irritating, but they were nothing compared to Poe Dameron. Everywhere she went, he went too. She used the force one time to dive into his mind, and she felt suspicion and curiosity.

 

_ Interesting. He thinks I’m a spy.  _

 

She never thought Poe Dameron was like this. From Finn’s descriptions, she expected a  light, happy, Resistance pilot. Poe was anything but that. When she went back home, she would need to have a long talk with Finn. 

 

The few conversations they had were purely business.

 

“Rey, did you finish scouting the south side?”

 

“Yes, I did. We found nothing except for some abandoned temples. Did you finish the West?”

 

“My fighters reported to me, and they found nothing.”

 

“Good.” Rey nodded, satisfied. “We only have to do the East side before we can return home.”

 

Even as she turned and left, she felt Poe’s eyes on her back. She disappeared around a corner, and used the Force to quickly propel herself up onto a higher floor, where she was still able to see the floors underneath her.

 

Sure enough, Poe had followed her. She smirked, seeing confusement on his face at her sudden disappearance. 

 

_ Well, two can play this game, Poe Dameron.  _

 

\--------------------------

 

This night, she dreamed of an island, surrounded by water and covered in luscious green grass. Instead of exploring, she sat down on the grass, waiting.

 

At first, the gentle breeze was her only companion. Then, she felt his presence. Without saying a word, Kylo Ren sat himself beside her onto the ground. 

 

“We can’t keep doing this, you know.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because it isn’t right.”

 

Wrapping his hands around her waist, he pulled her close to him. She sunk into his body, relishing the peacefulness and his hard chest. “I don’t care if it’s wrong,” said Kylo. “Because it feels so right.” He kissed the top of her head, and she hummed in appreciation.

 

In her dreams, she could easily put aside the violent, angry, destructive Kylo she had seen in reality. In her dreams, he was always gentle and caring. Everyday, she had to remind herself that the Kylo she saw in her dreams was not the real Kylo. 

 

She lost count of how many nights he had visited her. Sometimes it was her dream, and sometimes it was his. The landscapes were always from their past memories, some familiar and some not. 

 

Kylo’s hand crept down her shoulder, reaching for her breasts. But before he could get there, she swatted his hand.

 

“For Force’s sake, Kylo, no.” Kylo sighed in disappointment, his lips turning into a pout. He did this every time he visited, but she didn’t feel comfortable with his wandering hands. Not yet.

 

It was amazing, how Kylo Ren had changed from her enemy to her only solace in this wild world.

 

But in reality, he was still her enemy.

 

\--------------------------

 

Snoke was ready. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and plunged into the mind of his prey, who was no doubt waiting for her visitor. He sought out Kylo, who was lying asleep in his bed, and Snoke weasled himself into Kylo’s mind. 

 

When Snoke next opened his eyes, he found himself on the cold forests of the destroyed Starkiller Base, and he looked down to find himself in Kylo Ren’s body. Every detail was perfected, and he was the ultimate illusion. 

 

_ Master? Master!!! _

 

Snoke could feel his apprentice’s anger, and confusion. Amazingly, Kylo was doing quite a good job in fighting back. But Snoke was more powerful, much more powerful. 

 

“Kylo? Are you here yet?”

 

Smiling, Snoke was happy that he found her at last. She was standing on the edge of a rock, undoubtedly looking around for him. Stepping out from the rock behind which he hid, he quietly snuck over to Rey, until he was on the ledge above her.

 

She was still looking around, foolish girl. She had no idea what was about to happen, and Snoke chuckled at her vulnerability. Looking into her mind carefully, he found her worst fear. Images of nakedness, of passion, flashed in front of his eyes.

 

Seeing what it was, he nearly howled with laughter. Collecting himself, he jumped down from the ledge, landing just behind Rey.

 

She spun around, surprise and fear on her face quickly turning to laughter. “Kylo! You scared me!” She grabbed his arm, very casually, and Snoke almost hissed at the warmth. Was this what his apprentice was falling prey to?

 

_ Master, I… What are you doing? _

 

“What’s wrong? You look different, somehow…” Rey’s voice faded, and her innocent expression turned to fear as Snoke allowed his face to turn into a cruel sneer.

 

“Yes, I’ve changed, Rey.” Snoke said with Kylo’s voice. “I’ve seen your weakness, I’ve seen your fears, and I know what you are.” Snoke used Kylo’s arms to grab ahold of Rey’s wrists, trapping her in place. He ignored her screams, and pinned her to the cliff war, pressing his body against her own. 

 

“You’re nothing but weak scavenger scum, Rey,” Snoke whispered in her ear. “I’ll show you the true meaning of pain, the true meaning of fear.”

 

Ignoring her pitiful cries, he fumbled with her trousers, and with her blouse. With those out of the way, he started fumbling with his own. He could hear Kylo protesting, but he could also feel Kylo’s lust. Well, good. It was good that apprentice was finally coming to terms with his darkness. 

 

_ Let the pain begin, Rey. I’ll show you who Kylo really is. He’ll quench that light inside you once and for all,  _ thought Snoke.

 

Then, he released his hold on Kylo’s mind. He knew that his apprentice had gone too far to stop. Passion, and lust, would blind his judgement.

 

Indeed, Kylo was his master’s apprentice and his grandfather’s grandson. 

 

\--------------------------

 

It hurt so much, pain running throughout the area of her inner thighs. The stories of pain and horror had not been false all along.

 

She could hear Kylo grunting, his breath hot in her ear. With every thurst, more pain shot up into her body, and she could feel bile rising in her throat.

 

The tears were now pouring down her face in wet, hot rivers.

 

She could feel Kylo licking them off of her face, and she cried even harder at the humiliation. Kylo began kissing her neck, all the while thrusting himself deep inside of her.

 

“I’m,” gasped Kylo, lost in a dance of passion and lust. “I’m sorry, Rey,”

 

If Rey was able to, she would have kicked Kylo right in the face. He was sorry? That’s all he could say? Here he was,  _ raping _ her, saying sorry? If he was really sorry, he would stop.

 

Eventually, the pain subsided. All Rey felt was numbness, a relief from the pain. She could feel blood slowly trickle down her inner thigh. Her head lolled to the side, and she closed her eyes, wishing that she was anywhere but here.

 

Then, Kylo groaned for a final time, and she felt him stop thrusting. Thankfully, he removed himself from inside of her, and Rey finally felt no more pain.

 

But, she couldn’t do anything. 

 

She just laid there, the snow falling gently on her face. She had stopped crying long ago, losing the strength to. Everything seemed broken, the colors in the forest seemed muted, and the sounds all sounded so dark, and so dreary. She imagined this was what it felt like to have a broken heart; to never see beauty again in the world. 

 

Kylo, Kylo Ren, had been so nice to her. She remembered every dream they shared together, she remembered every touch, every laugh, and every smile. 

 

But clearly, she was very, very, wrong about him. He hadn’t changed at all. 

 

“Rey?” 

 

The wind had started to howl again, whipping into a slow breeze.

 

“Rey!”   
  


She heard the hum of a lightsaber, and she opened her eyes to see Kylo standing over her, his lightsaber casting shadows on the snow. He seemed to be looking around, searching for something, or someone. 

 

“Who did this to you? Who???” Kylo asked, sounding angry and insane. 

 

She felt herself open her hand, and she opened her heart to the Force.

 

Amazingly, she felt more powerful. Heartbreak, it seemed, was more powerful than any emotion. The power was crying inside of her, spilling out of every pore of her body, and she reeked of pure energy. 

 

The lightsaber flew into her hand, just as she had wanted.

  
She still laid on the ground, her gaze focused on Kylo. They stood in silence for a while, and Kylo seemed fearful of what she could do with the weapon in her hand. But she wanted no more violence. No, she had had enough pain for a lifetime, for a thousand lifetimes. 

 

“Rey,” started Kylo, who sounded heartbroken. “Did I do this to you?”

 

The wind had gotten more intense, howling and whipping around the pair, seeming to whisper in their ears.    
  


“Fuck. You.” said Rey, as way of an answer.

 

Then, she plunged the lightsaber into her own heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts?
> 
> Comment below!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relevations are made,
> 
> The past unveiled.

“Has anyone even seen Rey Kenobi today?” 

 

Poe was very, very annoyed at the fact that the commander of his operation was missing. She was nowhere to be found, and all those whom he stopped offered the same answer of “I don’t know.”

 

It was the final day of the search, and if all went well, they could finally go home. Why did Rey choose this day, out of all the days, to go missing?

 

But where would she be? Had she perhaps betrayed them all to the First Order? Had she been planning to all along? 

 

They had to sweep every inch of the base for her.

 

“You, follow me.” Poe gestured to a group of Resistance fighters, who rushed to his side. Without telling them where he was going, he headed down the hallway. 

 

Perhaps Rey was a late sleeper, a very late sleeper. 

 

“Rey?” Poe knocked gently on the door.

 

“Rey??” Poe knocked even harder, until he was punching and kicking the door, which remained stubbornly locked.

 

“Get this thing open.” The fighters nodded, and lifted their blasters.

 

A few seconds later, Poe found himself looking into an open hole, a burnt memorial to where the door had been. He half expected Rey to come charging out, and berate them all for interrupting her sleep. But there was only silence.

 

He entered the room, nodding his head to allow the fighters to also enter. Looking around, he saw no trace of Rey on the couches or in the washroom. Then, his gaze shifted to the bed.

 

She was just lying there, face peaceful in sleep. He groaned. All that effort, and she was just sleeping?

 

But even as he approached, he knew something was not right. She was hardly breathing, and her skin felt clammy and cold. 

 

“Call a medic.” He addressed a Resistance fighter. Immediately, the man rushed from the room and ran down the hallway.

 

Something was wrong with Rey, something very wrong. 

 

\----------------------------

 

Kylo Ren awoke with a shout.

 

His sheets were drenched with sweat, and he could feel beads of it on his face, all over his body. He started panting, hard.

 

_ What did I just do? _

 

Rey’s tears. His satisfaction. Himself thrusting deep inside of her. 

 

Her strong “Fuck you,” and her plunge into death.

 

It hurt him to remember, to see the blood of his beloved pour all over the snow. He remembered scooping her up into his arms, begging her lifeless eyes to focus on him, covering the wound hopelessly, as her blood poured onto his hands.

 

Now, although his hands were clean unlike in his dream, he could still feel the blood, heavily pouring down his hands. He could feel the guilt on them, and his hands started to tremble uncontrollably, shaking vibrations down his arms. 

 

Shakily, he put his head into his hands. Yes, he loved Rey, and yes, he lusted after her. Would it be wrong for him, 11 years older than her, to be with her? He had loved her ever since she was the little girl he had met so long ago, up until the beautiful woman she had become. 

 

He had planned out romantic dates, imagined a fantastic wedding, and even dreamed up the future children.

 

But he had ruined that all, by letting loose his passion and his lust. Something seemed off, however, something that nagged at his soul. 

 

It didn’t seem right that he would just force himself upon her. Sure, he was a monster with low standards, but he would never, ever, hurt his beloved.

 

But, he remembered how good it felt, when he forced himself into Rey. He remembered the warmth of her, and licking her tears from her face. They tasted salty, and her fear drove him to an orgasmic end. 

 

He felt so disgusted with himself. How could he even say he loved her now?

 

_ Come to me, Kylo Ren.  _

 

Groaning, Kylo listened to the voice of his master, and took off at a fast pace down the hallway. Entering the throne room, he prepared to kneel down to one knee.

 

“What is required of me, Master?”

 

“Ah, Kylo Ren, you finally came.” Snoke chuckled, seeming pleased by an inside joke. “Does the girl still call to you?”   
  


Kylo said nothing, but he allowed his thoughts to be heard by Snoke. It was too complicated, his thoughts were all jumbled together.

 

“Still, she calls to you?”

 

Saying nothing, Kylo neither affirmed nor denied his master’s words.

 

“If she tempts you from far away, then bring her here.”

 

Kylo lifted his head, confused?

 

“Master? Are you implying that I capture her again?”

 

“Yes, my apprentice. I am implying exactly that. Under my supervision, I can monitor her hold on you. Now go, and do not fail me like you did last time.”

 

Excited, Kylo nodded and hurried out of the throne room, eager to recapture his prize.

 

He would  _ make _ her love him, no matter what it took. 

 

\----------------------------

 

It was dark, wherever Rey was. Was she standing? Was she sitting? It felt as if she floating, or resting upon a calm pool of water. 

 

Was she naked? Looking down, she gasped in surprise. Around her body was a flowing, beautiful, black gown. It clung to her curves, but also flowed around her body. It was as if she was wearing water, for the dress was fluid and ever-changing. Sometimes it looked like the purest white, while from another angle it was blacker than the darkest night. 

 

She realized what the style was. It was what the widows on Jakku made for women who died in their early years.

 

“Hello?” she hesitatingly called out into the darkness, anticipating silence but also noise. Through the darkness, she heard crying. 

 

In front of her, stood a little boy. His sniffling almost broke her heart, as did the tears flowing from his tiny eyes. “Are you alright?” asked Rey. 

 

“It’s you!” screamed the boy, his voice sounding commanding. His finger pointed at her, accusing and pointy.

 

“Wha-” then, the floor, if there ever was one, and she fell from her feet into nothingness. As she fell, she saw visions on the side, like a sort of timeline.

 

All were pictures of her, ranging from her youngest years to what she thought was the elderly her from the future.

 

Then, she stopped. Her body was still in the position from which she had been falling, limbs splayed and unorganized. Slowly, she lowered herself until her feet was pointing downward. There was no floor, so she balanced on thin air.

 

The blackness changed, until she was standing on grass, pure and wet with dew under her feet. In the distance, she saw two figures.

 

A girl with hair similar to hers, and a boy with big ears that she knew she had seen before. 

 

Oh, she knew who they were. She knew not how she knew, but she knew that she knew. 

 

She reckoned that Kylo was what, 16? That would make her a child of 5, young and innocent. 

 

Kylo scooped her up into her arms, and she could hear both of their laughter being carried down to her spot on the hill. Even from down here, she could see the smiles on both of their faces, brighter than the sun itself. It was like a song, her soprana harmonizing perfectly with Kylo’s deep bass.

 

Only, she wasn’t looking at Kylo Ren. She was looking at Ben Solo. Before he had gone mad, before he had killed so many of the younglings.

 

The vision changed, and she saw herself looking older, more womanly and much taller. Still, she barely reached Kylo’s mid chest. That she knew, for she was looking at herself hug Ben Solo.

 

“Rey!” laughed Ben, reaching down so his face was level with hers. She watched herself grab Ben by the ears, before tickling his nose.

 

Instead of going into a tantrum and destroying everything in his sight like the Kylo Ren she knew today, he just laughed and hugged Rey even tighter. 

 

It was interesting, seeing herself, and her biggest enemy, so young and so innocent. Deep in her heart, she knew that if things had played out differently, if Ben Solo hadn’t decided to change his name, she and Kylo would still be that close. Maybe even married.

 

Married, children, and a happy future. What could have been.

 

Again, her surroundings blurred and shifted, the colors combining and separating, and then she recognized immediately where she was. Soft but harsh sand spun around her feet, and the desert sun that she had known for so many years was again beating on her head.

 

“No! Master, please!” She seemed to be around the same age as her last vision. Young Rey was clinging onto the robes of an older man, who looked wise, but at this moment, heartbroken. 

 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” said the man sadly. “But I must do this for the good of Ben.”

 

“Why, Master? I just want to go home! I promise, I won’t go near him again!” Young Rey was now begging, the tears pouring fast from her face.

 

“When you next awaken, you will remember nothing. No me, no Ben, no academy.” The old man waved his hand in front of young Rey’s face, and Rey watched herself collapse. 

 

Huh. She guessed being knocked out was just a recurring theme in her life. 

 

Sighing, the old man carried her into the camp, a smaller version of the scavenger outpost that she had spent so much of her life at. Kissing her forehead, the old man gently placed her on a bench. 

 

“Now,” he said, “you won’t remember anything.” The old man started to walk away, and Rey quickly followed, giving only a quick glance to her younger self on the bench. She strained her ears, and heard the old man’s last words before he boarded the ship.

 

“Reversible, only by death.”

 

Death? Was she dead? Was this what awaited her? Flashbacks of her past and reminiscing on the future? 

 

Then, light flooded the entire scene. She heard screams, of happiness or sadness, she did not know.

 

“Rey! She’s awake!”

 

“Oh my goodness! Finally! Rey, open your eyes!”

  
“Someone get the general! Master Skywalker, she has awakened.”

Then, someone spoke to her, reaching into the very depths of her mind. 

_ Awaken, my young Padawan. Come back to the light. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, this is not ALL of Rey's past.
> 
> But at least she remembers the basic details!
> 
> Ooooohh, who's the person who speaks into her mind at the end? :)


	19. Chapter 19

_ Yes, the light. So pure and untouched, so beautiful. _

 

Gasping, she awoke, and it felt as if she had emerged from being underwater. The spell of peace and serenity that she was under while remembering her past had completely worn away to be replaced with panic and chaos.

 

With reality came back her memories. The pain, the cold snow, the humiliation, her ruined pureness, her death. But how could she have died? Here she was; breathing and alive.

 

But being alive was good. It meant that she could get her revenge on Kylo Ren. Anger, red and brutal, flooded her vision, and she gritted her teeth while clenching her fists, desperate to punch something, to  _ kill _ something. 

 

“Calm down, padawan. Your emotions are getting ahold of you.”

  
The voice was the exact same as she had heard in her visions. Wise, caring, and gentle, with a hint of sadness.

 

“Master!” Rey was so relieved to finally see Luke Skywalker again. He had changed, so much, from when she last saw him leaving her on Jakku. His beard had gotten longer, and the hair on his head had turned a light gray. The wrinkles on his face betrayed how much he had aged, and his eyes looked so tired.

 

“Child,” he chuckled. “You are so happy to see me even after I deserted you on Jakku?”

 

Smiling, Rey only said, “there is no emotion, there is only peace.”

 

Luke Skywalker roared with laughter, and clapped his hands together appreciatively. Several nurses hushed him, angry at the disturbance he was causing in the infirmary. 

 

“Well,” sighed Luke, “it’s good that you remember everything now. Now, we can continue your training.”

 

“Continue our training?”

 

“Yes, child. You wouldn’t want your talents to go to waste, would you?”

 

Excited, Rey couldn’t wait to learn more about the Force. Sure, she had power, but she needed to learn how to control it. With power, many things could change. The ability to save the universe, to destroy the First Order, and to destroy Kylo Ren.

 

“Child, you  _ really  _ must control your emotions. Still, I can feel your anger boiling deep inside of you.” Her master reached over to grab her hand, and she immediately felt calm, the anger gone temporarily. 

 

“Remember, there is no emotion. There is only peace.”

 

“Yes, master, only peace.” But it was so hard to find peace, so hard to find a balancing platform that would save her from dropping into the dark abyss of anger and hate. She could feel herself standing on the edge, torn between peace and anger.

 

“Come, child. We must go to train, and we are going far away from here.” Good. The further, the better, for Rey. “Is there anything you need to pack?”

 

Knowing that this place would only be a temporary home, Rey hadn’t grown too attached to any of her objects. But the people, on the other hand,

 

“Master, I have no objects, but I do have some goodbyes to say.”

 

“Yes, child, take your time. You must never leave a home with harsh words and quick actions,” said her master, and she could hear deep wisdom and experience in his voice.

 

Bowing quickly to her master, she ran down the hallways, bumping into various strangers, who all did double takes. Had she been out for that long? Surely no one would have taken notice of her. 

 

Then, she finally reached the control room. 

 

Huffing and panting, she quickly pulled the general into a tight hug. Surprised and taken aback, the general took a moment’s hesitation before returning the hug eagerly. 

 

“Take care, Rey. We’ll see each other again. I’ll make sure of it.”

 

The general pulled back, and stroked Rey’s cheeks gently. “Finn! Poe!” Both of her fighters turned, and quickly ran upon seeing Rey. 

 

“Rey!” shouted Finn ecstatically. “You’re awake! This is great! Listen, I got some things I need you to help me with. There’s a brok-”

 

“Finn, I’m leaving.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, that too. Then, we ca- WHAT? YOU’RE LEAVING?”

 

“Yes, Finn. Master Skywalker is allowing me to continue my training. But you’ll see me everyday. Here, take this.” She handed him a holocommunicator, for she had a copy in her bag. “Every day, you hear me?”

 

“Everyday, Rey. I promise.”

 

Then, she turned to Poe.

 

“I’m not a spy.”

 

Poe seemed taken aback, surprised by her knowledge. “How did you know?”

 

Smiling, Rey was relieved that Poe was taking this gently. She tapped her head, and said, “Force-user, remember?”

 

Poe nodded, understanding but also smiling. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

 

“It’s behind us now, Poe.” She extended her hand to him, and he looked at it hesitatingly. “Can we be friends?”

 

He slowly shook her hand, still seeming surprised. “Friends, ok. I’m fine with that. ” They nodded at each other, two different souls so eerily alike. So lost, so lonely, so desperate for a friend. 

 

Nodding to the trio, she prepared herself to leave. “May the Force be with you,” she said.

 

“And with you.” All of her friends, together, at the same moment, replayed her blessing upon herself. She could feel their blessing, and it settled upon her, bringing peace and happiness. She clung onto it, not wanting to let go.    
  
Before her friends could see her tears, she quickly ran out of the room, back to her master. On the way, her feet hit something, and she tripped on the floor.

 

“Hey! You! Watch where you’re going!” But when she saw who she tripped over, she immediately swallowed her words.

 

“BeeEEeP! boOOoop!”

 

“BB-8, this is goodbye.” 

 

The droid, who was beeping in happiness at Rey’s return, stopped it’s rejoicing. Then, confused and sad beats replaced its previous happy ones.

 

“I’m sorry, but I have to finish my training. But, don’t worry, ok? I’ll find you someday. If you want something, talk to Finn, he knows how to contact me.” The tears were actually falling down her face now, and BB-8 rolled forward in an attempt to hug her. 

 

“Goodbye, sweetie.” She bent down to straighten his antenna, and when that was done, she turned around and walked back to her master. 

 

Luke Skywalker was still sitting in the same seat he had been in when she left, and she knew he was meditating, his eyes closed and face peaceful. 

 

“Fear not, Rey. This is not the last time you will see your friends,” said her master, who slowly opened his eyes and stood up from his chair.

 

“Our ship is waiting outside.”

 

She followed her master outside, and was immediately blinded by the sun. The warmth felt good on her skin however, and she enjoyed the natural light. The ship they were walking to had seen better days, for it was worn and torn. But she liked it, for it reminded her of herself.

 

Getting into the ship, she looked around to see a small pilot’s area, and no other chairs, tables, or beds. Instead of getting into the pilot’s seat like she expected him to, Luke Skywalker instead sat down on the floor, eyes closed once again.

 

_ This is your first lesson, Rey. Show me, how smoothly can you fly? Are you able to let my meditation be undisturbed? _

 

_ Yes, master, I will try. But I must ask, what is our destination? _

 

Through their temporary mind-link, Luke sent Rey images of a planet covered with water and dotted with islands, and she heard its name reverberate throughout her head. Ach-to. 

 

Getting into the seat, she readied the controls, attempting to be as silent as possible. As the plane rose into the air, she looked out from the window, onto the base that was her home for a short while. But like all good things, it could only last for a while.    
  
So, she flew into the distance, into the cold, hard, and unpredictable space. 

 

\-----------------------

 

“Sir, we’ve still found no trace of the girl.” A lieutenant, the exact same one which he had force-choked long ago, spoke the words hesitatingly and with great fear. No doubt he remembered his past punishment for failure. 

  
  


Saying nothing, Kylo let the anger flow through him and into the floor, dissipating. No, he couldn’t unleash his anger here, not in the control room. Too many people, too many witnesses. Instead, he focused on controlling his breathing, and opening his mind. If he couldn’t find her, he could at least see what she saw.

 

Reaching out with the force, he finally felt her signature. It was the first time he had contacted or felt her, since he had forced himself on her. Making sure not to disturb her or alert her to his presence, he tread lightly into her mind. 

 

_ She was in a plane, sitting in the pilot’s seat and manning the control board. Through the plane’s window, he saw her whip by several planets, and narrowly avoid several asteroids. Just watching her pilot a plane made him fear for his life. _

 

_ No definite clues led him to her destination. He was forced to look inside her mind, to read her thoughts.  _

 

_ “There is no emotion, there is only peace. There is no passion, there is serenity.” _

 

_ All Kylo heard in her mind was endless repetition, the same lines over and over. She sounded desperate, and underneath her shallow words he could feel the sea of hate and darkness, threatening to overwhelm her, and swallow her alive.  _

 

_ Good, she was already in touch with her dark side, already prepared for him. _

 

_ Behind her, however, sat a man. A familiar man, whose eyes remained closed and face peaceful. The robes he wore were familiar, and he was reminded of his days at the academy. _

 

_ How did his uncle get ahold of Rey? This ruined all his plans! _

 

Kylo couldn’t stop the anger and frustration from seeping into his mind, and he felt it also trickle into Rey’s consciousness. A dire mistake. He had just alerted his prescence to her, destroying any chance he had of catching her unawares. 

 

The effect was immediate, and startling. Rey’s hands twitched suddenly, throwing the whole plane out of place. Behind her, her master grunted with the sudden movement. But she had another surprise.

 

_ Kylo. Ren. _

 

It was so sudden, and he was surprised that she knew that he was there. She could speak back? She could delve into his own mind? She was getting more powerful, too powerful to control by himself. Collecting himself, he spoke back.

 

_ Hello, Rey, we meet again. Happy to see me? _

 

He could still feel her pain, the pain that he was responsible for. He wanted nothing more than to fall at her knees, to beg for her forgiveness, to hold her once again in his arms. But he had a mission to accomplish.

 

_ I hate you, asshole. _

 

He chuckled, satisfied. Yes, hate, such a powerful emotion.

 

_ Use that hate, Rey, tap into that power. Can’t you feel it? The raw power? The great energy flowing through you? That, my love, is the power of the dark side. _

 

He could feel her pause, surprised at the power she was feeling. He thought he had won over her, then, 

 

_ Get out of my mind, you monster. Go back to the hellhole from where you came! _

 

The hate was brewing within her, and this time Rey let herself tap into the energy of the darkness. With great force, she flung him out of her mind, and he felt himself actually fall onto the floor, pain shooting up his shoulders.

 

He was again in the control room, surrounded by confused stormtroopers, and the same fearful lieutenant. 

 

“Sir, are you alright?”

 

Breathing heavily, he said nothing, but instead got up and brushed the dust off of his dust. 

 

_ Master, I need your help.  _

 

Snoke paused, sensing his padawan’s confusion and anger.

 

_ Come, then, my apprentice, and tell me your troubles.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooot!!!! No school for me today?
> 
> Know what that means?
> 
> MORE CHAPTERS YAASS


	20. Chapter 20

Landing on Ach-to, finally, Rey collapsed on the ground and began to beat at her head. She had to get that feeling out, get his touch and his voice out of her head. Even now, his voice reverberated through her brain, persuading, dark, and promising power and a great destiny. 

 

_ Rey! He raped you! He’s a monster! _

 

She could hear her master rising from the floor of the ship, no doubt groaning from the bruises that Rey had given to him through the rough flight. 

 

“Master, I’m sorry for failing your duties, but Kylo Ren, he we-” Rey was rushing out her words, desperate to explain to her master and desperate to ask for a solution.

 

“You need not worry, Rey. I know all about your force bond.”

 

“Then, do you have a solution?” Rey caught her breath, desperate for an answer. She looked up at her master pleadingly, her eyes doing all the begging.

 

“I’m sorry, my child,” said Luke sadly, “but there is no known solution to break such a bond.”   
  


Crying, Rey covered her face, and her mind barriers fell. Would she ever be free? Even as she cried on the ground, she could feel Kylo’s gloating, and she could picture the smirk on his face.

 

_ Why so sad, Rey? _

 

“Master! He’s here again!” Rey clutched her head, and banged it onto the metal floor, desperate to get the voice out of her head.

 

_ Do you really want me gone? You can’t deny your darkness inside… _

 

“Focus, child, focus your mind!” Luke grabbed Rey’s head in his hands, and he sent her strength from his own mind. Rey’s breathing grew even, and she felt herself lift up the barriers once again in her mind, stable and strong. She hears Kylo growl, almost animal-like and wild with anger. But it’s too late for him; she has already put up her walls.

 

Kylo, like a predatory wolf, circled her walls and tried to tear them down. But today, he would not succeed. 

 

“Our first lesson, Rey,” said Luke, “is to never, ever, lose your focus. The enemy can slip in, can come in unawares, if you do not put up your walls.”

 

“Yes, master.”

 

“I’ve aided you with some of my own strength, but you will have to learn to lean on your own strength. The power to focus, to protect, comes from within.”

 

Rey nods, understanding her master's words.  _ There is no emotion, there is only peace.  _ But now, it feels as if peace is a million light-years away. 

 

\------------------------------

 

But that night, when she settles into a bed, all tired and exhausted from Luke’s training, her walls come tumbling down. It isn’t her fault; in sleep and dreams one’s consciousness is weak. 

 

Thus, opening a bridge for meetings and battles.

  
She immediately knows where she is when she lands in the dream. The forest is still the same as she remembers, the same rocks, same foliage, and same clearing where she had been captured by Kylo Ren. Speaking of him…

 

A twig snapped behind her, and she spun around, reaching for a weapon which was not there. 

 

He had changed since she last saw him. The scar she had given him as a gift was puckered and red, and she could see the dark circles under his eyes. Obviously, he was feeling pain, because she could feel it through their bond.

 

But no, she could not feel sorry for him, not this monster.

 

“What do you want, asshole?”

 

He stopped walking towards her, stopping about five yards away. Even from this distance, Rey could still see his bruises, scars, and sleepless eyes. She had to strangle the pity that was rising in her head for him.

 

“Rey,” he began.

 

“No, NO! You do NOT get to say my name, okay?”

 

To her surprise, he nodded. “I’m sorry, I truly am.”

 

She snorted, not believing a word of his apology. “Well, unless you can turn back time and stop yourself from raping me, you’re still an asshole in my eyes.”

 

“Rey! It wasn’t me! I swear, if I had the choice, I would never hurt you that way!” 

 

Rey stopped, unsure of his revelation. He sounded so sincere, dropping to his knees onto the ground, eyes looking deep into hers. She scoffed, still not believing. Spurred on, Kylo continued.

 

“It was Snoke, Rey, it was all Snoke. He controlled my mind, molded it, and forced me!”

 

“I don’t care, Kylo. Nothing can remove the pain that I felt.” But as she spoke, her mind flashed back to that fateful night. She remembered how Kylo’s eyes looked, red and evil. He hadn’t seemed like himself, and she remembered how heartbroken he had seemed after knowing that he raped her.

 

Maybe it really wasn’t his fault. 

 

“I know that.” Rey was startled back to reality, or dream-ality, when Kylo spoke again. “I know that it hurt and that you’ll never forgive me. I just want you to know that I’m sorry.”   
  


Sighing, Rey dropped to the ground beside him. 

 

“Well, we’re stuck here until one of us wakes up.” She scooted a little closer to him, so she could hear him speak. 

 

“Yeah,” he chuckled, his laugh sending thrills down Rey’s spine. It was odd and infuriating, the effect that this man’s voice had on her body. “8 hours of awkward silence.”

 

They got through about an hour of awkward silence, which Rey killed by looking around at the scenery, testing her memory with reality. Had she not remembered the bird’s nest? Or that sharp rock that rose about 20 feet into the air? 

 

No, she had more important things to evaluate. Turning her head, she looked at Kylo’s face intently. He was acting different, not the predatory wolf that he acted like while she was flying the plane.

 

“Why are you acting so different, Kylo? Where are your promises of “showing me the dark side?””

 

Sighing, Kylo never even looked at her. “I have a mission Rey, one I can’t tell you about.”

 

“Does it concern me?”

 

Silence.

 

“Are you going to kill my friends?”

 

More silence.

 

“Are you deaf?”

 

When she said those words, she remembered saying them again so long ago. Obviously, Kylo remembered too, for he snapped his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. She could see his cheeks burning red. He brought his hands up to his ears, rubbing and twisting them, just like how she had done when they first met. 

 

“You know,” said Rey, causing Kylo’s head to face her. “I remember everything.” She tucked her head between her knees, not wanting to face Kylo. “Every little detail. Everything about our past, the academy, Master Luke,...” her voice slowly faded.

 

She turned to face him, to gauge his response to her revelation. Then, he started to laugh, a look of pure happiness on his face. Why was he laughing? Annoyed, she picked up a rock and threw it at him. Still, he laughed, even harder. 

 

“What so funny?” asked Rey, desperate to know why Kylo was literally rolling around on the ground with laughter. Never had she thought that her enemy would be laughing by her side, defenses down and mood light. 

 

But he wasn’t just her enemy. He was her childhood support, her anchor to life back then. He didn’t feel like Kylo Ren now, he felt like the Ben Solo that she had loved with all her heart so long ago. 

 

“Do you still remember that time I did your hair for you?” asked Kylo, who was looking at Rey with a lovable and gentle expression. It was so weird, so  _ unsettling _ for her greatest enemy to be looking at her like that.

 

Feeling her cheeks burn, Rey self-consciously tugged at her three buns. “Maybe I do.” A vision came to her, an image of a confused-looking Kylo attempting to do a young Rey’s hairstyle for the day. She saw those young, pale hands move on her hair, tying it into the three buns that she wore religiously every day. Ashamed and blushing, she attempted to tug her hair free from the buns.

 

“No.”

 

Her hand stopped tugging at her hair, confused. She turned to face him, curious as to why he said no. “No what, Kylo?”

 

“Leave your hair like that. I like how it looks.”

 

Before she could let that sink in, let the knowledge that Kylo Ren enjoyed her hairstyle fully go into her mind, Kylo turned onto his side, facing away from Rey. 

 

She didn’t want to admit it, but she did like how it looked. So, she removed her hand from her hair and laid down onto the cool ground, sighing at how comfortable the moss and soft earth felt.

 

“Kylo?”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Can I call you Ben?”

 

Kylo rolled around, and although her eyes were closed, Rey knew that he was now staring at her. 

 

“Yeah, go ahead. Only in dreams though.”

 

Smiling, Rey was satisfied knowing that she had made progress. 

 

\------------------------------

 

Waking up, Kylo knew that the smile on his face was genuine. 

 

She remembered everything. Every hug that they shared, every joke, every nose-tweak, every laugh, and every ounce of love that had flowed between them. 

 

God, he had waited so long for this day. Perhaps now, she had realized her destiny. Perhaps she would be once again willing to take her place along his side as the queen of the universe. 

 

Snoke had told him to seduce her, to sway her by any means necessary to the dark side. Only problem was, he didn’t even have to try to seduce her. He just wanted her by his side again, where she belonged. 

 

In their dreams together, he felt the most at home. The light would overpower him, would charge through him, would emit off of Rey. He felt dangerously close to his past, dangerously close to becoming  _ Ben _ once again. 

 

And then, he slipped. He didn’t know why, but when Rey asked to call him Ben, he let her. It slipped out of his mouth, and he couldn’t stop it. 

 

But if it got him closer to her, then so be it. 

 

She was so beautiful, so  _ light _ and tempting. She made him act in ways that he never would normally act, made him feel crazy, uncontrolled, and completely in love.

 

Not to mention she was at fault for the giant wave of lust that rolled over him when he saw her for the first time in what seemed like forever.

 

Pulling on his helmet and his cloak, Kylo made his way out of his room and down the hallway. He had to find a way to quench the lust deep inside of him, the lust that was making him dizzy and feel uncontrollable. 

  
It was crazy, the effect she had on him. 


	21. Chapter 21

Rolling awake in bed, Kylo realized that he was not alone. Lying beside him, naked, was another human being. A woman, in fact. Memories of last night flooded his mind memories of sweats, grunts, and lust.

 

But he still didn’t feel satisfied, not even in the slightest way. 

 

Without even asking, he grabbed the woman and quickly entered her, paying no attention to her pain. Soon, with his frantic thrusts, the woman joined in his moaning. 

 

_ Her hair looks like Rey’s. _

 

He grabbed onto that hair, and finally reached his climax. Without saying anything, he got up and made for the washroom, knowing that the woman would be gone when he came back.

 

It was always like this. Different women and different faces, but none quenched the lust that he held for Rey. No matter how many women he slept with, no matter how many nights of lust happened, he still couldn’t get her out of his head.

 

Their past few dreams together had been all about reminiscing about the past. Past pranks, past laughs, past sorrows, and past love. Throughout all their sessions of remembering, Rey had been smiling and laughing in sync with Kylo, her now womanly face showing the same laughter and excitement that her five-year-old self had on so long ago. 

 

But whenever he would reach forward to touch her, to hold her, she would withdraw, a flinch on her face. And whenever he accidently touched her, he could feel the memories of pain and humiliation flash through her mind and through their bond. 

 

All he wanted was their past love, those casual hugs and touches. It seemed that everything was lost now, no more warmth and no more affection.

 

He would do anything to have the real Rey back with him. Getting her memories back fulfilled the first step of his plan, but now she had to remember their love, or he would be forced to  _ create _ new love with her. 

 

Walking into the control room, he scowled as he prepared himself for General Hux’s insults. 

 

“Greetings, Kylo.” Not saying anything, Kylo instead grunted to Hux. He wasn’t deserving of such attention. The girl, on the other hand…

 

“Any news on the Resistance?” Expecting the usual “no” and promises to continue searching, he prepared himself for disappointment.

 

“Yes, actually. It seems that our scouts have finally served their purpose.”

 

A hologram of the planet that housed the Resistance base was pulled up on the nearest control board, a visual representation of their next battlefield. Finally. After all those months of searching, he had finally located his prize.

 

“Good. Ready the fighters, and prepare to leave in 30.”

 

Saluting him, all the high positioned lieutenants and commanders immediately rushed off to follow his command, issuing orders and instructions to the lower officers. Instead of ordering his minions around like he should, Kylo instead leaned against the window, gazing out into the empty sky.

 

_ Rey, where are you? I’m coming for you, my love. _

  
And when he found her, Ben would be gone. In his place would be Kylo Ren. 

 

\----------------------------

 

“Sharpen your mind, Rey,” said her master, who was busy sparring with her. It didn’t seem like it, but underneath Luke’s frail figure and flowing cloak, there was strong muscle and tough bones. 

 

He scored a shot, hitting her on the side. Cursing her failure, Rey knew that such a hit from a lightsaber would render her dead in a duel. 

 

She fell to the ground, attempting to even her breath. Sweat poured from her face, her hair matted and tangled. They had been at this for hours, endless sparring giving her an uncountable amount of bruises all over her body. 

 

Getting back up, she steadied her staff, ready for another bout. But to her surprise, Master Luke set down his own staff, and motioned for her to do the same. 

 

“You did well, today.” Rey bowed her head, happy to receive praise. “Still, you need to fix the opening on your left side. Your right side may be better than perfect, but you must always seek  balance.”   
  


“Yes, master.”

 

Turning around, Luke headed back to their shared cabin. “I expect dinner to be ready in no less than an hour, Rey.”

 

Nodding, Rey watched her Master slowly make his way to the cabin, before entering and turning on the light. Then, she quickly ran down to the shore, and removed her boots. While Master did provide her with bedding and training, she had to provide the food. 

 

Entering the water, she shivered at the cold. The ice spread through her toes, all the way to her head. Now, it was time to start her daily ritual. 

 

Sitting on a rock, she scattered the fresh catheinete leaves she had found nearby. Soon enough, some fishes roamed near them, desperate for a meal. Waiting for the small fry and minnows to disappear, she waited patiently. 

 

There! A big one!

 

This fish was beautiful, over two feet long and equipped with shimmery scales. Perfect for a dinner, and perhaps breakfast for tomorrow.

 

Quickly stabbing the fish and watching the rest scatter, she uttered her daily thanks to the soul of the fish for providing a meal. From life comes life, but death is the only reliable source of sustenance.

 

Walking back to the house, she gritted her teeth at the effort of carrying such a heavy fish. The scales were slimy, and she constantly had to re grip her hands in order to maintain a steady hold. 

 

She opened the door with her feet, and sighed at the warmth that immediately caressed her body.

 

“I see you have returned,” said her master. He was holding some sort of leaf, perhaps a seasoning or something for a salad. He turned around, eyes widening at the fish she had caught.

 

“Hmm. I don’t recall asking you to catch dinner for tomorrow too!” Laughing at her master’s joke, Rey quietly placed the fish on the table, preparing to skin it before cooking. 

 

“Are these for seasoning?” Rey pointed at the leaves in her master’s hands. 

 

“Oh no, these are for after dinner.” After dinner? What was that supposed to mean? Instead of sitting upon her master’s strange greenery, she instead focused on preparing the meat. 

 

A few minutes later, she had grilled a nice fish fillet, perfectly crusty but yet sustainably filling. Sighing in appreciation, her master quietly set the table with the silverware and plates. 

 

While they were eating, her master spoke suddenly.

 

“Rey, I must leave soon.”

 

Putting down her fork, Rey couldn’t believe if she was hearing her master correctly. “Where are you going, Master?”

 

Sighing, Luke stood and walked to the window, gazing out onto the thousands of twinkling stars in the sky. 

 

“Somewhere out there, there might be more younglings, more force-sensitives.”

 

Oh, now Rey understood. They were going to search for more younglings! Perhaps she would get to train one all by herself? Excitment rose, unquenched, in her chest.

 

“We might take a while to prepare, but that seems do-able. When are we leaving?”

 

Turning around to face her, Luke chuckled.

 

“Oh, no, child. You are not coming with me. Your duties are here with the resistance, to fight against injustice and the First Order.”

 

“You won’t be staying to fight? But Master! You’re our most powerful asset!”

 

Laughing, Luke sat down again, resuming his dinner. “Oh, child, my age is far older than you can imagine. What can I, an old and aged man, do to fight? No, the resistance finds you to be a much more useful asset.”

 

Finding truth in her master’s words, Rey knew that it was time to go back to the real world, to go back to where she belonged, beside her friends.

 

Finishing the rest of their meal in silence, Rey had time to think about how much she had trained under her master’s wing. 

 

Her body had thanked her for all the countless exercises she had done. Even now, as she sat, she could feel her muscles, could feel the strength in her body, fueled by running, lifting, and eating the most nutritious foods.

 

Now, she could fight with a multitude of weapons, not only her staff. On more than one occasion, she had to fight with her master using nothing but her fists. Needless to say, bruises and cuts were commonplace.

 

But every night, as she blew a good-night kiss to Finn and his suspected boyfriend Poe, she would feel a sharp pang in her heart. No matter how much she trained, she could never fill up the empty hole in her soul that was dedicated to her friends.

 

Or even at night, when she talked and talked with Kylo on endless things, from woman’s underwear to the Resistance facilities, she would feel the need to go home, to go somewhere where she would feel wanted and loved. As much as she loved her master and the endless seas and forests, Ach-to was not that home. Unlike her master, she didn’t know if she could survive years upon years of solitude on this lonely rock. 

 

Carrying the dishes outside, she proceeded to wash them, her hands feeling frozen in the cold water. Soon, she was joined by her master, who dried the dishes using a rag.

 

“You’ve become much stronger, Rey.”

 

“Thank you, master.”

 

Wondering where her master was going with his speech, Rey dutifully sat and listened attentively to Luke.

 

“While you have grown stronger, there are things that might still tempt you, might still draw you away from the Light.” Rey had a feeling that she knew exactly where her master was going. 

 

“Don’t let Kylo Ren fool you, Rey.” Yep. She was right.

 

“While he might still seem like your childhood friend in your dreams, he is still the dark monster that you knew on a first-hand basis.” Wait, how did her master know about the dreams? She blushed, fearful that he had heard confessions of all the jokes that she and Kylo had pulled on him back during the days of the academy. Not to mention other personal details, of course.

 

“Remember, Rey, that Ben Solo is still Kylo Ren. But we must not forsake hope. If you do meet him on the battlefield, try to remind him of his light side, his life as Ben Solo, by any means necessary. Bring him home, Rey.”

 

Rey had a sinking suspicion that this was her purpose with the Resistance all along. Had she really been groomed, been trained and properly taught just so she could somehow seduce Kylo Ren back to the light?

 

Ugh. It was as if her entire life revolved around that asshole.

 

But instead, she quenched her fears and excitement at meeting Kylo again deep inside her heart, and nodded to let her master know that she understood his words. Now, she had a mission to accomplish. She had a purpose for all that training, and she had a mission that she could devote all her new power to. 

 

She reminded herself of those thoughts the next morning, with her bags all packed and the plane waiting for her. She boarded the plane, waiting for her master to board.

 

“Oh, no, child. I won’t be flying with you. I’ll be teleporting, so you don’t need to carry an old man along with you!” he chuckled at his own joke. But while he was still chuckling, Rey pulled her master into a tight hug, trying to convey all the love and advice she had gained from him into that one show of affection. Clearly overwhelmed, Luke awkwardly patted her back.

 

“Don’t worry, child, we’ll meet again. Whether on the terms of failure or success, I do not know.” Rey nodded, hoping that they would meet on the second term.

 

As she flew away, she could hear her master talk to her through a mind link, and his voice was comforting and gentle.

 

_ May the Force be with you, Rey.  _

 

_ And with you, Master. _

  
Fueled by the blessing of her master, Rey flew onward into the empty space. Now, she was going home. 


	22. Chapter 22

Looking around, Commander Risgard of the Resistance scanned the hallway for any of his fellow fighters. Seeing no one, he quickly ran into the control room, which was mostly empty. He cleared his throat, ready to clear the room.

 

“The General has permitted all of you an early leave. Please, go back to your own quarters and regain your strength.” All of the remaining men cheered, and ran out to the exit, anxious to be able to rest. When all was silent, Risgard walked quickly to the control panel. 

 

He scanned the board, searching for the right hole. Finding it, he quickly inserted the flash drive, allowing the virus to be injected into the main computer. He efficiently removed the device, and walked out the door, casual enough to seem normal to a witness. When he confirmed that no one saw him, he allowed himself to smile. 

 

He spoke into his sleeve.

 

“This is Commander Risgard, direct to Kylo Ren. Mission confirmed.” Smiling, he made his way to the plane hangar, getting into his own plane. He was on his way to his true master, and he was eager to claim his reward. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Finn walked into the control room, humming a tune and holding his cup of juice in his right hand. Over his shoulders was slung Poe’s jacket, a reminder of the comfortably night they had shared. Inappropriate visions and memories filled his head.

 

_ Uh oh. No blushing! Not in the control room!  _ Finn told himself.

 

“Morning, General.” Finn greeted Leia, expecting the usual reply. Instead,

 

“Rey is coming home today.”

 

“Same. How was your morn-” Finn stopped dead in his tracks, spilling juice all over his shirt. “What do you mean Rey is coming home?”

 

The general turned around to face Finn, an unusual smile on her usually stern face. “My brother has busied himself with finding new apprentices to take on, since he considers Rey to have finished her training.”

 

“Wait, hasn’t it only been like, 2 months? Don’t Jedi train for their whole life?”

 

“You forget, Finn, that Rey has trained with her Master before, a long time ago.”

 

Not knowing much about Rey’s past, Finn assumed that what the general told was the truth. “So Rey is coming back to help us fight? We do need some help on the front lines.”

 

“Precisely my train of thought. She will be arriving later today, if all goes as planned.”

 

But of course, nothing ever went as planned.

 

“General!” an out-of-breath fighter quickly ran into the room, before stopping in front of Leia. Wondering what this was all about, Finn hung around, eager to hear the news. 

 

“We’ve confirmed that there are First Order pilots making their way to our base!”

 

At those words, fear ran through Finn. How could the First Order have found their base so quickly? But one thing was certain. They were no longer safe. The general seemed to have the same train of thought, for her face was pale and she seemed to be at a loss for words. But then, quickly, she shut her mouth and went back to being the stern commander that Finn knew and loved.

 

“Get our own fighters ready. I know we’re unprepared, but we need to do the best we can.”

 

“Yes, General!” The fighter ran out from the way he came, no doubt to spread the news to his fellow pilots. With the messenger gone, the room became silent, all captains waiting for Leia to give an order.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for? We’ve got a fight to prepare for!” The captains all cheered, grabbing the weapons near their waists. “If we go down, we’ll go down swinging!” With a cheer, the crowd surged towards the exit, each captain getting ready to command their own battalion. 

 

Now, it was just Finn and the General in the room. 

 

“Finn, go find Poe. I’m leaving you in charge of the rebel pilots.” Nodding at her command, Finn quickly ran off, desperate to find Poe. Running through the panicking crowds, he quickly located Poe, who was already commanding his fighters to get into position. In the middle of giving an order, he made eye contact with Finn. 

 

Running to each other, they quickly embraced in a passionate kiss, the possibility of death and imprisonment making it even more heated. Finally, Poe broke the kiss, and dragged Finn to his own plane.

 

“Let’s go, fighter. We’ve got a battle to fight.” Taking his place on the plane at the blasters, Finn readied himself, focusing on making his breathing nice and even. But as the plane flew into the sky, he found himself unsure of his fate.

 

“How many planes we looking at?”

 

“Not sure, Finn. Scouts reported that it’s a large group we’re facing. Not sure of the exact number though.” As Poe finished his words, the sun suddenly disappeared from the world, rendering everything black and in shadow.

 

But it wasn’t the sun that had disappeared. Rather, a giant First Order plane had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, placing panic into the hearts of all the Resistance fighters. 

 

Even as he looked upon the fighter base with awe, he saw most of the Resistance planes being blown up, or promptly squashed. The planes at the Resistance base were feebly trying their hardest to blast the giant base, but Finn knew that it was hopeless. The giant base was one of the newest models, equipped with it’s very own force shield and equipped with the toughest armor and the fastest blasters. It seemed that the First Order had not underestimated the Resistance.

 

He watched as the base launched a missile, which flew right into the command center, the building in charge of organization and orders. With a sinking feeling in his chest, Finn hoped with all his heart that General Leia and the other top commanding officers had been able to escape. 

 

Next to go was the plane hangar. Then, the fighter dormitories. The place that Finn had called home for the last few months was being slowly destroyed by the First Order, his happiness and his friends going up in smoke amid missiles and explosions. 

 

Then, out of nowhere, their plane was hit. He could hear Poe scream, hear him trying furtively to keep the plane in the air. But the ground was quickly approaching, and Finn braced himself for the impact. 

 

It was like fire, the pain, and the sudden white that flooded his vision quickly turned to black as he faded into unconsciousness. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Whistling, Rey found herself happy and excited to be going back to the Resistance base. While training with Master Luke made her more powerful, she wanted to actually be in the action, to be able to fight and make a difference in the battle between good and evil. While Ach-to felt like a home, it was more temporary than permanent. 

 

Humming, she piloted through space, following a route that she knew well already. Just a few more parsecs, and she would be seeing her friends again.

 

Then, the holo-communicator on her belt vibrated, and she removed a hand from the steering wheel to activate it. 

 

“Hi! Finn, I’m almost there!”

 

But it wasn’t Finn that she was looking at. It was general Leia. Her face looked panicked, and without a greeting she started to quickly speak. 

 

“Rey, listen to me! You absolutely cannot come back!” 

 

“General, what’s wrong? I’m already on the route back.”

 

“No, turn around, Rey! We’re in trouble here, the First Order somehow got our location, and we’re under attack.” As she spoke, Rey could hear evidence of the battle, seeing lasers illuminate the room in red, and she could hear the planes flying in the background.

 

“I’m coming to help, General, just stay put!”

 

“Rey, no! I said, tu-” An explosion shook the room that General Leia was in, sending her and the holo-communicator on that end to fall to the floor. Smoke entered the room, and she could hear the general shakily cough. The room was in disarray, rubble on the floor. 

 

Then, the harsh sound of footsteps running in sync flooded the holo-communicator. She knew that sound well, and her heart plummeted when she knew that the First Order had managed to penetrate the Resistance’s control room. 

 

From the holo-communicator, she watched, helpless, as the stormtroopers lifted the general, and dragged her to the feet of a man in black robes.

 

“Ah, mother, how nice to see you again.”

 

The voice, so full of menace and anger, sent thrills down her spine. It was no doubt Kylo Ren, ready to face his own mother. Instead of pulling her up to face him, he squatted down onto his knees to gaze from his helmet into his mother’s own eyes.

 

“Ben,” spat the general, but it was full of love. “You’ve come home.” She reached up a hand to stroke Kylo’s helmet, and prepared to remove her. Holding her breath, Rey waited for Kylo to move, for him to smack his mother’s hand away. But instead, he allowed the helmet to be removed. 

 

Seeing the face of her son, the general stroked his cheek, but Kylo’s face still remained stone-hard, eyes still intense and dark. 

 

“Tell me, mother, where is the scavenger?”

 

Speaking softly, the general answered. “She is somewhere far away, Ben. Somewhere where you will never find her.”

 

“Well then,” said Kylo, who stood up and cleaned the dust off of his robes. He made no motion to help his mother, who was still on her knees. “You are of no use to me, then, mother.” He raised his hands, and with it, the stormtroopers raised their blasters. “On my count, then.”

 

General Leia just closed her eyes, accepting of her fate. Rey had to do something? But what could she do? She was so far away from the general!

 

“Tell father I said hello.”

 

Knowing that his threat was real, Rey knew what she had to do.

 

“I’m right here, you asshole!”

 

Shock was evident on Kylo’s face, and even the stormtroopers glanced around for the source of the noise. She wagered that the holo-communicator had slipped during the explosion and fallen under a table. 

 

“Rey.”

 

“Yes, asshole?”

 

He chuckled, clearly satisfied with the turn of events. He lowered his hands, and the stormtroopers lowered their weapons. Relieved, Rey let out a sigh, one that did not escape Kylo’s ears. 

 

“So, you care for my mother?”

 

Rey didn’t answer, but she knew that Kylo knew the answer. Why else would Rey have revealed herself to save the general? Now, it was not Rey who held the upper hand, but Kylo. 

 

“Find me, Rey, or your friends all go down.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Rey knew she had no other option. She couldn’t just let Finn, the general, Poe, and all the fighters that risked their lives everyday to just die. Making up her mind, she pressed on the plane’s throttle, zooming through space even faster.

 

“I’m giving you 10 minutes, Rey, or this whole planet will be gone. Make your decision.” Then, the holo-communicator was shut off, and Rey lost all sight of the general or Kylo. 

 

10 minutes? Well, she better hurry. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

9 minutes had passed, and Kylo was getting impatient. Rey was nowhere in sight, and he hadn’t really wanted to make good on his promise to destroy the planet. After experiencing the pain from killing his father, he didn’t want to experience it again from killing his mother. 

 

All around him, the fighters of the Resistance were on their knees, threatened by the stormtrooper’s blasters. There was no sign of the traitor, and his mother was safe in the hands of the stormtroopers behind him. 

 

“Sir, shall we prepare to move out and prepare the blaster?” Cursing Rey’s foolishness, Kylo knew there was no other option. He opened his mouth, ready to give the answer, when he felt her.

 

Rey was close, very, very close. Her presence was like a drug, coursing through his entire body and giving him energy. The closer she got to him, the more alive he felt. 

 

Instead of answering his soldier, Kylo instead turned to face the sky, a smile on his face. 

 

_ I’m coming, you asshole. Don’t you DARE harm anyone! _

 

Chuckling, Kylo felt proud that she had gotten so strong, her voice reverberating loudly in his mind. It seemed that his uncle’s training had paid off for her. But he knew that inside, the darkness was still strong in her, and he could still mold her to become the perfect partner. 

 

He watched her plane zoom into the atmosphere, and he could almost feel the glare she was giving her. He raised his hands, signaling for the blasters to ignore their target, and the guns immediately fell to give his prize a safe passage to the ground. Without getting blasted out of the sky, the plane holding his beloved slowly lowered to the ground. 

 

He waited with bated breath, feeling Rey’s Force signature pulse through the air. Then, the door slid open, and Rey walked out. 

 

Her face was set with determination, and also sadness as she looked around at all the fighters being held prisoner. When she saw him, her face was set in anger, anger so raw and powerful that it almost blew a hole in his mind. 

 

Her beauty was breathtaking, and her face seemed even more pretty than he remembered. Her hair was being blown in the wind, whipping across her determined face and the image caused him to clench his fists, for he was desperate to touch that beautiful hair. Even now, she still had the same effect on him that she did so long ago. 

 

_ Come to me, Princess,  _ he whispered through their mind link.

  
_ Come, take your rightful place by my side.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts?


	23. Chapter 23

_Did you hurt anyone?_ He could hear the concern in Rey’s face when she spoke using the Force, and the same concern was mirrored on her face. From the distance, he could barely make out her eyes and her features.

 

 _No, no one at all._ Of course, Kylo didn’t mention that he was about to kill everyone here before she showed up. _Now, come, princess. Hurry, we must leave._

 

“Ugh. Don’t call me princess.” When she spoke aloud, it was the first word that the Resistance had heard throughout their entire silent exchange. Of course, there were murmurs of confusion, and he could hear his own mother shuffling her feet behind him.

 

Kylo knew there wasn't time for games. He had a schedule to follow, and he was determined to keep it. “Stop playing games, Rey, and come to me.” He stretched out his hand, extending his hand and opening his fist.

 

Of course, his princess had no desire to come with him quietly. She pulled out her staff, swinging it in an expert move. Kylo recognized the same stance from his old days at the academy, and scoffed at his uncle’s feeble attempt to train her. She readied her stance, crouching in a fighting position.

 

Sighing, he ignited his lightsaber. But he didn’t swing it towards Rey. Instead, he pointed it to his mother behind him. The Resistance prisoners all gasped, and Kylo didn’t have to turn around to know that the lightsaber was inches away from his mother’s neck. With his action, Rey’s hands fidgeted nervously on her staff, and he knew that she wouldn’t risk a death.

 

“Rey, remember our promise.” She was still pretty far, and he had to yell for his voice to be heard. He knew she heard though, because she glared at him, her eyebrows set down in anger and nostrils flared. “You can still leave and allow me to kill all these murderers and thieves you call friends.”

 

Still she did not move, and Kylo was beginning to get very frustrated. To prove his point, he feinted towards his mother, bringing the lightsaber even closer to her neck. When he moved, he could see Rey lunge forward, fear etched onto his face. She was not the only one who moved, however. The entire Resistance, as one, attempted to surge forward when he threatened their leader’s life. But they were quickly threatened to obedience by the blasters of his stormtroopers.

 

“Did I make myself clear?” Nodding vigorously, Rey stowed away her staff, her only weapon.

 

“Put your lightsaber away, Kylo, and then I’ll come.” Following her instructions, Kylo deactivated his lightsaber and brought it far away from his mother’s face. Deep down inside, he was relieved that he did not have to kill her.

 

Slowly, she approached. With every inch she got closer, Kylo could feel the emotions of lust, happiness, and pride at having finally caught his prize rise in his chest. But around the ten feet mark, she stopped.

 

From this distance, he could see her newly-formed muscles, and could tell that she held her staff with more experience and more skill. She made the first move, and he felt her attempt to tear down his mental walls. He quickly raised his defences before delving into her own protected mind. They stood there, their minds at battle, silent and quiet.

 

“Rey!”

 

But it was not Kylo who uttered his shout. Their battle broken, he followed as Rey’s head turned sharply to face the source of the noise, and saw the traitor, FN-2187, emerge from a crashed plane.

 

“Rey, don’t!”

 

As the traitor ran closer and closer, Kylo saw his own stormtroopers run to catch him. He could tell that Rey was torn between the duty to save her friends, and her want to fight back, to risk her friend’s lives.

 

He saw the love that she held for the traitor in her eyes, full of love and happiness, and his mind flared with rage. She should be looking at _him_ like that, not that filthy traitor!

 

Finally, his soldiers caught the traitor, and they dragged him to Kylo’s feet, before punching him into a kneeling position. Coughing, the traitor made no attempt to look up at his captor’s face. It seemed as if this traitor would not die. Time after time he had told his soldiers to specifically target him, but he would always survive.

 

Well, not this time.

 

Igniting his lightsaber, he prepared to kill the traitor once and for all. As the blade fell, he allowed himself to feel triumph.

 

“Kylo! Don’t!”

 

Rey had extended her hand out, force-stopping the lightsaber from killing her friend. Surprised at her strength, Kylo tried his hardest to remove his lightsaber from her hold, but found her strength to be too strong.

 

“Remember the promise, Rey. If you come with me, I will not harm your friends.”

 

“Do you, do you promise, Kylo?” She was straining with the effort of fighting him now, teeth gritted and fists clenched.

 

To show that he really did, he deactivated his lightsaber, prompting the traitor at his feet to let out a sigh of relief.

 

He extended his hand, waiting for Rey to take it. “Now uphold your part of the bargain, Rey. If you come with me, we will leave your friends completely unharmed.”

 

“Do you promise to leave their base and never return?” Rey knew that she was in the true position to bargain. All Kylo wanted was her, and Rey could use that to help her friends. Mentally, Kylo cursed himself for digging his own trap. “Also,” said Rey, “you have to release all of your prisoners, and harm no one here.”  


Groaning in frustration, Kylo agreed to her terms. “Fine. I promise to leave and take no other hostages.” Sighing, he twitched his fingers, desperate for Rey to take them. “Now, princess, hurry. Take my hand.”

 

She walked slowly forward, tears wavering in her eyes. Every step she took seemed to be a million miles, bring her closer to him and further from her friends. Her eyes, looking into his own, looked so betrayed, so sad, and so tired. Finally, still looking into his eyes, she placed her hand in his.

 

Warmth, beautiful, comforting warmth spread from his fingertips throughout his entire body. He fought hard to keep the groan in his throat from exiting his mouth, and he had to actually fight back the monster of lust rearing in his chest.

 

Without any hesitation, he pulled Rey close to his chest, causing her to gasp in surprise. Before she could say no, before she could deny him, he crashed his lips to meet hers.

 

She tasted every bit as delicious as he thought she would. She tasted like fresh sun, like the dew that drops on the fresh green grass. He kissed her hungrily, like a starving man devouring a giant feast. He couldn’t stop himself, and he didn’t want to.

 

Immediately, she started to kick and punch at him, not doing much damage. While it was cute, he started to get annoyed. Finally, he pulled back from her, panting for breath.

 

He lowered his mouth to her ear, inhaling her scent. “Listen to me, Rey,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “If you even try to escape, our promise is invalid, and your friends will all die.” Still, Rey kicked feebly at his shins, attempting to harm him. It was so cute, and she reminded him of a baby animal attempting to flee the jaws of a great predator.

 

“Cease your kicking, sweetheart, or you can say goodbye to all your friends.” He wouldn’t actually kill them all, but he had to maintain the air of superiority to make sure that Rey got the message.

 

Rey immediately stopped kicking, not wanting to risk her friends’ lives. Besides, she could always escape when Kylo took her away, with the Resistance out of the First Order’s reach.

 

Knowing that she wouldn’t risk an escape, Kylo grabbed her around her waist, even tighter to reassure himself that she wouldn’t escape, and prepared to walk them both back to the ship.

 

She felt so warm near him, so comforting, like a personal anchor. He found himself staring at her, standing still for what seemed like an eternity. Her lips were red, proof of the passionate kiss that he had given her. She wasn’t looking at him, but rather sadly at the ground, seemingly oblivious to his hand around her waist.

 

“Sir, shall we leave now?” Captain Phasma’s voice snapped him out of his ogling, and he felt the blush start to creep onto his face. Nodding, he wordlessly grabbed Rey closer, preparing to return back to Snoke.

 

Kicking the traitor at his feet away, he started to walk towards the plane, motioning for his soldiers to do the same. All at once, the stormtroopers released their guns on the rebels, before boarding their ships and flying back to the base.

 

As he dragged Rey up the ramp into the ship, her fighting spirit came back. Once again, she kicked and dug her heels into the ground, attempting to slow her entrance onto the starship. She turned around, attempting to tug her arm out of Kylo’s. She managed to utter out a strangled scream, calling for her traitor friend, before Kylo dragged her onto the plane.

 

Entering the ship, he looked out from the closing door one last time to see his mother’s face. She was still standing where the stormtroopers had left her, her eyes focused on her son’s face. The last thing he saw before the door closed was the sadness in her eyes, and the single tear that rolled down her cheek.

 

Clearing his throat, Kylo tried his hardest to sound and act normal. But inside, a piece of his heart had broken when he looked upon his mother’s face. He had to remind himself of his darkness, and he silently repeated the Sith code to himself in his mind.

 

“Return to the base,” he commanded the pilot, “and from there we shall return to Rakata Prime.”

 

Nodding, the pilot hurried to follow his orders, fearful of punishment. As Kylo watched the broken Resistance base fade away into the stars, getting lost among the millions of other galaxies, he let out a sigh of relief.

 

He still held Rey in his arms, and she was still looking towards the door, the exit that was barricaded with several feet of pure steel.

 

“Don’t try to escape, unless you want to get sucked into space.”

 

Still, she remained silent, looking towards the door. Peeking into her mind, he realized that she was just saying her silent goodbyes to all her friends. First he saw his mother’s face, then Poe Dameron’s, then even the traitor. For some odd reason, whenever he saw the memory of Finn holding Rey in his arms, his face grew red with anger. How _dare_ that traitor touch what was his?

 

“Don’t bother, princess. You’ll have a new life soon enough.”

 

“Well, don’t bother holding your breath. You will _never_ get a second chance with me, Kylo Ren. You disgust me.” Upon her last word, she spit into his face, anger upon her own. Sighing with fatigue, he reached up her hand to wipe the spittle off.

 

“This is for your own good, Rey.” Waving his hand over her face, he used the Force to wipe her out. Only unlike last time, she had more experience and strength.

 

“That… that won’t work…” said Rey, stumbling on her own words, tiredness already on her face. “Won’t work….on...me,” she yawned, finally giving in to Kylo’s power. But before she fell asleep, she managed to voice her thoughts.

 

“I hate you, Kylo.”

 

He reached into her mind, which was most vulnerable during sleep.

 

_Yes, hate me, princess. Use that hate to fuel your power. Can you feel it? The Dark Side within you?_

 

Hearing his voice in her mind, Rey’s own subconsciousness rolled in great anger, attempting to set up defensive barriers but failing greatly. Kylo was already in her mind, and nothing could get him out at the moment. Already Rey was dreaming up ideas to escape, and Kylo got glimpses of stormtrooper costumes and heroic dashes into the First Order control room. He chuckled, laughing at how childish and foolhardy her plans were.

 

_Go ahead, Rey, try to escape. I’m expecting you to. But remember, no matter where you escape, no matter where you hide, I will always find you. I will always, ALWAYS,  track you down._

 

He expected her to say a sassy comeback, or perhaps awaken and attempt to punch him in the face as she normally would. But instead, a solitary tear rolled down her cheek.

 

Lowering his head, Kylo licked away the tear. It tasted salty, of bitterness and sadness. He peeked into her mind again, and could feel the waves of desperation and anger, mixed with loneliness.

  
Then, to add insult to injury, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. With that kiss, Rey’s insides blew into more turmoil, making her more confused and broken than she already was.

 

Good. His princess was already breaking.

 


	24. Chapter 24

Even though Kylo had put her to sleep, Rey was still conscious of her surroundings. She made no attempt to hide her fear, for she knew that Kylo would still be able to feel it through their bond. 

 

Of course, he was heavily gloating at the fact that he had managed to capture and secure her into his possession. She could feel it, and it made her sick. 

 

_ Feeling sick doesn’t change the way it is, sweetheart. I’m still going to keep you, _ said Kylo, speaking into her mind.

 

She found it disturbing that this man, this  _ monster _ , was once a boy whom she had hugged, touched, and loved. 

 

In their dreams together, he acted like the boy that she considered her friend during her childhood, Ben Solo. But now, in reality, he was still the monster that she knew as Kylo Ren. 

 

_ Ben Solo is dead,  _ said Kylo through their mind link.  _ He was weak, like his father, so I killed him. _

 

_ No, _ said Rey back.  _ Ben is still somewhere inside of you, and I will bring him back. You’re still your mother’s child, Kylo. You’re still your father’s son. _

 

Suddenly, Kylo’s hands flew onto her face, and she could feel how cold they were. They gripped her cheeks tightly, and she would’ve cried out from the pain if she could. 

 

_ I said,  _ said Kylo, fear raging through his calm voice.  _ Ben Solo is dead. I am Kylo Ren, and I have no mother or father. _

 

His hands stopped gripping her head so tightly, and instead he began to softly caress her cheeks. It shocked her, how unstable this man was. One second he was ready to kill her, and in the next he would hold her lovingly. She would have to tread lightly if she was to bring him back from the light. 

 

After what felt like an eternity, Rey’s body began to cramp from being in the same position. She cursed herself for being so immobile, so vulnerable in her current position. All she wanted was to stretch her legs, and change to a more comfortable position. 

 

To her surprise, Kylo responded to her struggle. She assumed that he would just ignore it, making her suffer like the prisoner that she was. But instead, he lifted her from her horizontal position on his lap, and began to knead her sore muscles. Never had Rey thought that her worst enemy would massage her gently, but here she was. 

 

But when he was done massaging her, he bought her even closer to his chest, so that her head was leaning on his impressive chest muscles. He went so far as to scoop up her legs also, so that Rey was in a fetal position, trapped in Kylo’s tight embrace. He started to pat her hair in a comforting movement, treating her almost like a pet. 

 

Finally, after hours of his embarrassing touches, the starship stopped. Rey hoped that they had reached their destination, glad that she would be able to set her feet on actual land, even if it was enemy land. 

 

“Sir, we’ve reached Rakata Prime. Shall I transport the prisoner to the dungeon?”

 

Oh right, she was still a prisoner. Gulping, Rey was finally fearful of her fate in the hands of her enemy. Now, far away from the Resistance, she was at their mercy. What would they do to her? Torture? Brainwashing? The frightening possibilities flew threw her mind at light-speed, making her panic. 

 

“No need, PI-1739. I’ll transport the girl to her living quarters by myself.”

 

Then, she felt rocking motions, and she knew that Kylo was carrying her. It all felt so familiar, and she was reminded of her last stay as a prisoner of the First Order. Even then, she had been carried in this way, supported and kept safe near Kylo. 

 

Finally she felt herself being lowered onto the bed, still in her helpless and vulnerable dream state. Her heart pounded, and she suddenly felt naked. What would Kylo do to her when she was helpless like this? Surely, he wouldn’t, do  _ it _ again to her, would he?

 

“You should be worried, Rey.” His hand lightly stroked her cheek, before tracing down to her collarbone. Lightly, his hand went down to her collarbone, and she hoped that he wouldn’t go down further. 

 

“What, scared I’ll do this?” All of a sudden, he grabbed her breast, and Rey was so angry, her hate so strong, that she managed to move her hand. It was a slight twitch, just a tiny movement from her right index finger.

 

Even Kylo was surprised. She could hear his breath hitch, feel him hold her down tighter.

 

Still, his hand burned on her right breast, and all she wanted to do was bite it off, but at the moment, she could not move. 

 

Kisses suddenly landed on her cheek and her forehead, and Rey then felt Kylo’s lips brush her own, and he nibbled at her bottom lip. She had never felt the emotion than ran through her now before, and she wasn’t sure if she hated it, or if she wanted even more. 

 

“See? You can’t deny it, Rey. You can’t deny this chemistry between us.” Kylo managed to lightly groan the words out, before continuing his kisses. 

 

He continued, landing more kisses on her mouth, then moved down to her neck. He lightly sucked and nibbled, and Rey felt shivers go through her body, even in her immobile position. 

 

“You’re just, so  _ perfect _ , Rey.”

 

Never once had she felt a man like this before. Never once had she been held and kissed with such great affection and gentleness. 

 

If she had been able to move, however, the situation would have been very different. This far into his advances, she would have already punched or tried to harm Kylo, and she would never have allowed him to get so personal with her. 

 

Then, Kylo moved both of his large hands down to his waist, which he lightly grabbed. She was like a toy, tiny and delicate in his hands. All it took was a quick throw with his hands, and Rey would cease to exist. 

 

Rey felt the bed shift with Kylo’s weight as he laid on the bed, his hands still on her waist. Judging by the body heat next to her, she assumed that he had taken up a cuddling position near her.

 

He pulled her closer to him, and she felt his hot breath on her ear, on her hair, and all over her face. 

 

“Oh, Rey,” sighed Kylo, snuggling his face into the crook of her neck. “You’re so beautiful.” His hands roamed through her upper body, marveling at all the womanly curves she had developed during her time apart from him. 

 

“What have I ever done to deserve you Rey?” Kylo seemed to ask the question to himself, his voice full of awe and wonder. However, Rey felt obligated to respond. 

 

_ Um, you didn’t do anything to deserve me, you asshole. _

 

Choosing to ignore her thought, which flowed clearly through their mind link, he instead closed his eyes and fell asleep, leaving Rey alone with her own thoughts. 

 

With her eyes closed and blind to her surroundings, Rey could easily replace Kylo with someone else, perhaps a future lover. Someone else could have been holding her waist, breathing in her scent, keeping her close. 

 

But the funny thing was, she didn’t want to imagine anyone else in Kylo’s position. 

 

\----------------------------

 

Poe didn’t exhale until he witnessed the giant First Order starship sail through the sky and disappear into hyperspace. 

 

After the plane crash, he only awakened when he heard Finn scream Rey’s name, and say his friend run towards the Force-user. If he had a voice, if he was even able to move, he would have shouted for Finn to stop, to stop running into danger. 

 

Kylo Ren, the commander of the First Order, could easily have wiped the Resistance out. He had been standing in the midst of their camp, about to kill the general, but he chose not to. To add more confusion, all he had asked for was Rey. 

 

It would be so easy for him to have seized more hostages, perhaps even the location to Luke Skywalker. But instead of taking his mother as prisoner, or any of the high-ranking officers, he left with only Rey, leaving the Resistance completely unharmed.

 

Of course, there was also the passionate kiss between Kylo and Rey. Kylo had been so eager, but he wasn’t so sure about Rey. She had fought at the beginning of the kiss, her fists feebly punching Kylo’s chest. But at the end, he had saw her fists fall, saw her almost leaning into the kiss. 

 

Would Rey do that? Would she fraternize with the enemy? Had something more happened between Kylo and Rey during her past imprisonment with the enemy? Poe knew that there was more than it seemed, more information and secrets that were hidden. 

 

After the starship left, the Resistance troops stayed where they were kneeling, waiting to make sure that the enemy was gone. It was completely silent, the only sound being the wind whispering softly among the troops.

 

Finally, a Resistance scout gave the alert. “All clear!”

 

Sighing with relief, Poe attempted to stand up, but found his legs to be shaky and hurt. A sharp pain shot up his shin, and he knew that it was broken. He would have to go to the infirmary and have the medical droids check it out. 

 

Only, there wasn’t an infirmary anymore. In its place there was a great ruin, a smoldering mess of stone and concrete. Next to what was once the infirmary was the great ruins of the control center, and next to that was the troop dorms. No matter what direction he looked in, all Poe could see was the destruction of his past and future. 

 

All of his comrades, the people who he fought and cried with, were looking at the ruins, with expressions of heartbreak and eternal sadness. Tears were rampant in the crowd, and some people fell to the floor, covering their face while they sobbed. 

 

But the one person who cared nothing about the Resistance was the person who had started it all. The general did not move a single muscle since Kylo Ren’s departure, her face still turned towards the direction of her son. Shakily, Poe limped over to where she was standing, and put a hand on her shoulder. 

 

She didn’t even turn to acknowledge his presence. 

 

“Don’t you worry, general. We’ll come back from this. We’ll give those First Order bastards a taste of justice!” Passion swept through Poe, a deep desire to strike back at the despicable evil that had ruined his life. He didn’t know how the Resistance would be able to clean up and begin again, but he knew that they could manage it. 


	25. Chapter 25

When he awoke, Kylo Ren felt something that he had not felt for a long, long time. 

 

Peace. For what seemed like the first time in forever, Kylo was content when he awoke. There were no conflicting emotions inside of him, no struggle between light and the dark. Only peace, only quietness and serene silence. 

 

Rey, the reason for all of his happiness and peace, still lay quietly embraced in his arms. Her face was still peaceful, her eyes closed, and she looked like a newborn baby sound asleep. But was she really asleep? Kylo peeked into her mind, and saw that she really was. Her mind was a mixture of memories, of emotions, and of visions of the past and the future. Her dreams were so sweet, but could be more bitter than he could ever imagine. 

 

Dreams of loneliness, of gone happiness, of her fear of once again being deserted. But Kylo knew that he could fix those dreams. He could become her companion, never leaving her side and she never leaving his. Perhaps even one day, they could become partners in marriage, forever tied together with love and commitment. 

 

Sighing with content, he buried his face deeper into Rey’s neck, and breathed in her scent. Sweet like honey, but also bitter like the sands on Jakku. Pulling her in closer, he positioned her so that she was curved next to his own body, covering him like a second skin. 

 

“Commander Kylo, General Hux is asking for you.” His intercom crackled, breaking the serene silence that had settled over his bedroom. Having no desire to talk with the sniveling rat known as Hux, Kylo groaned. But he knew that if didn’t get down to the command bridge, Hux would come to find him. 

 

So, he reluctantly pulled away from Rey, and when he did, his emotions once again became conflicted. Light and dark, good and evil. He hurriedly put on his outfit, and reached for his helmet. Only, it was not there.

 

Ugh. This was the second time he had lost his helmet after the battle on Starkiller base. Annoyed, Kylo knew that he would have to get through the day without a helmet, his scar a showcase to all who saw him. 

 

Making sure that Rey was still asleep, he peeked into her mind. Still, her emotions were a jumble, her dreams a mess. Feeling bad, Kylo removed the Force-spell that he had put on her. When she awoke, she would be able to move and stretch her sore muscles. 

 

Pulling on his cloak and desperate to leave before Rey awoke, he opened the door, getting ready to meet Hux. Stormtroopers outside immediately saluted him, and Kylo commanded them to stand guard outside his chambers, making sure that Rey didn’t escape. 

 

Kylo smiled, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to escape. This time, he had taken special precautions with his room. 

 

\---------------------------

 

Rey drifted quietly into consciousness, almost like water trickling from a crack. She awoke slowly, her senses taking time to be able to function. 

 

She didn’t open her eyes, fearful of what she would see. The one thing she knew for sure was that she was on a bed, a bed that she had shared with Kylo Ren. 

 

Memories flooding back to her, she sat upright, trying her hardest not to throw up. While holding back her bile, she opened her eyes, and was shocked at what she saw.

 

The room she was in was an exact replica of the room that she had been kept in on Starkiller Base. It was Kylo’s base. The chairs were the same, the drawers no doubt filled with the same clothes that she had seen last time. Everything, down to the colors of the flowers in the vase, was the spitting image of her last prison. 

 

But maybe, if everything was the same, she could escape the same way. 

 

As she ran to the door, she hoped against hope that Kylo had overlooked the small detail, but deep inside she knew that Kylo would never be that stupid. 

 

When she did get to the door, Rey realized that there was no intercom button. Unlike last time, it seemed that she could not persuade the weak-minded stormtroopers who were certainly guarding her now to release her. She felt the sudden urge to scream, and she gave in to that urge.

 

“AAARRRGGGHHH!” Screaming, Rey released all the anger that had accumulated inside her since her capture. Unleashing all of that hate and anger, she punched the walls, she kicked the furniture, she banged on the door. 

 

After what felt like hours of fighting against the room, Rey was tired. She hadn’t even put too much of a dent on the room. The walls were still clean, and the only thing that was out of place was the chair that she had kicked, which still lay on its side. Here she was, stuck in a prison, with no hope of rescue or escape.

 

But maybe there was one person who could help her. 

 

Sitting down where she was, Rey quickly assembled herself into the normal meditating position for Jedi. Her legs were crossed, her back straight and stiff. Slowly, her breathing became even, almost like a pattern. Breathe in, breathe out. 

 

Peace filled her mind, and she lost all awareness of surroundings. Gone was the room in which she was currently being held prisoner, and gone were her worries about her fate. There was no emotion, there was only peace. 

 

Peace. Serene and satisfying peace. 

 

Reaching out with the Force, she searched for the man whom she knew could help, the one man who knew her turmoil and her inner fights, who knew of her past and of her childhood. 

 

_ Master!  _ Rey cried out her master’s name loud and clear, and the Force carried her voice all throughout the universe, powerful and full of meaning. But there was no response, not even a stir or a soft whispered response. It was only her, alone and helpless.

 

Calling out again, Rey projected her voice even more. Her head vibrated with the strength it took to call for help, and she could feel her energy dim. 

 

Time after time she called, and time after time silence was her only response. It seemed that her master had disappeared, had gone from the very universe. Or even worse, dead. 

 

But she could not give up hope, because it was the only thing she was hanging onto. It was her anchor, her boat of refuge in a rocky sea. 

 

She did not stop calling for her master, did not stop sending out her pleas for help. Even when she got so tired that her body slumped against the wall, she still called out. 

 

_ Please, someone, help me.  _

 

Tired, oh so tired. Rey allowed herself to fall to the floor, to find relief in her dreams.

 

\---------------------------

 

“And that, sir, is how we expect to crush the rebellions on Nostumor 18.”

 

Nodding his head absently, Kylo fought the strong urge to fall asleep. He hated these board meetings, the endless talks and pointless fights. The First Order’s plan was quite simply, really. Just keep on killing until no one is left to fight or even cry out against you. Diplomacies were pointless, politics worthless. 

 

Then, Kylo felt the Force, felt the disturbance. Only one person beside him had such power to cast out such a powerful voice, and he knew immediately what they were trying to do. Endless pleas for help, nonstop cries for a familiar master. 

 

It seemed that Rey had woken up, and her energy was at full swing. He stood up from his chair, desperate to stop Rey from calling out for help. She had not stopped shouting once, her cries getting more desperate and more tired by the second. 

 

“My lord, are you alright?” Not saying a word, not even excusing himself, Lord Kylo instead walked briskly out the door, and out of the command room. Making sure no one was near him, he broke into a run. 

 

His legs could not carry him fast enough, could not bring him quickly to his love. He had to get there, had to stop her from trying to escape once again. He cursed her, wondering why she would want to leave. All he had been so far was gentle and kind, but if she was going to act this way, that would have to change. 

 

Her cries were growing softer, meeker, and more tired. They were slowly fading, slowly ebbing out of the Force. 

 

Nearing the hallway in which was situated his room, Kylo slowed himself down to a brisk walk. Stormtroopers were nearby, and they could not witness their leader in a moment of panic. He had to maintain his stern and collected outlook, both for his soldiers and his own morale. 

 

Now, Rey’s cries had stopped altogether, and the disturbance that she had made in the Force was no more. 

 

He nodded to the stormtroopers guarding the door, and they allowed him to pass silently. He waved his hand over the door, before punching in a password and scanning his face, and it quietly slid open, revealing the inside. 

 

His hand was already extended, ready to use to Force. But he needed not worry about Rey’s attacks of fury and her shouts of anger, but more about her snores.

 

Rey was face down on the floor, her butt sticking up in the air. Soft snores were coming out of her mouth, like the mews of a baby kitten. Whene he peeked into her mind through their bond, she was dead asleep. Sighing, he swept her up from the floor, and sat himself down in a chair. All he had now to do was wait for her to wake up. 

 

His fingers lightly traced her lips, and he fought back the desire growing within him. “Oh Rey,” he said, now lightly stroking her cheeks. “Why do you have to be so beautiful and tempting?”

 

\---------------------------

 

Finn was still struggling. 

 

Something about being at the mercy of your enemy, hearing your death being so casually discussed, and feeling the heat of the weapon that could kill you made him feel so out of place. He envied the people with quick deaths. Painless shots to the head, or a quick stab through the heart, and they would be free of suffering. The ones who were tortured, who had to witness the death of their loved ones, who had to watch their homes get destroyed, get burnt down, were the true ones who suffered. Yes, death was all the same, but the ways people died were very different. 

 

How many people did he put through that pain? How many people did he torture, how many people suffered because of him? He thought he could put his stormtrooper days aside, but his old commander had instilled in him fear once again. 

 

Kylo Ren. Ben Solo. To him, both were synonyms for the word monster. 

 

He thought that no one could get more cruel than Kylo Ren. He had actually seen his commander in action, seen him slaughter entire villages and kill innocent men, women, and even the children and elderly. Never once had his red lightsaber hesitated to kill someone, and never once had he ever expressed remorse or guilt. 

 

But the way Kylo Ren treated Rey, with gentleness and kindness made him very confused. 

 

The way he called her princess, with that loving and doting tone, made him seem like a man. Human, unlike the monster he really was. The way he held out his hand, the way he extended it for Rey, seemed almost lover-like, like a partner. 

 

And the passion, the pure passion, in that red-hot blazing kiss. He could feel the energy that it gave off, feel the lust and desire that Kylo was feeling, and the disgust in Rey’s mind. He wasn’t Force-sensitive; it was just that the kiss was so powerful and emotional that he could feel it in the air. It was like static electricity, affecting everyone in the vicinity. 

 

He himself had felt lust, had felt desire, when the kiss happened. He had shuffled his feet, trying to keep the images of Poe out of his head. But it was impossible to hold back his feelings, fueled on by the passionate kiss that happened between enemies. 

 

It was as if the two, Kylo and Rey, were ying and yang, dark and light. Separate, they were powerful, but together, they held enough powerful to destroy the universe. It was a scary power, and Finn feared the consequences.

 

But what if Rey turned to the dark side? What if, as a captive of the First Order, she gave in to her feelings of loneliness and anger?

 

Surely, it would mean the destruction of good, once and for all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DANG, isn't Kylo obsessive?


	26. Chapter 26

She already knew where she was before she opened her eyes. Who else had a chest as hard and stable as Kylo’s?

 

“Come on, Rey, wake up. Stop faking.”

 

She didn’t respond, and didn’t make a move to open her eyes. Did Kylo really think she would be obedient to him? Why would she, the prisoner, listen willingly to her captor?

 

Then, Kylo crashed his lips to hers in a passionate embrace, in a giant show of lust and desire. It was as passionate and as fiery as the one he had given to her at the Resistance base, and it made her body melt, made her feel sensations that she had never felt before. She found herself wanting to kiss back, to return the passion, to give him the pleasure he was giving her. 

 

What was wrong with her? Why did she enjoy kissing this man?

 

Reality hit her hard, and Rey pushed herself off of his lap with a great scream, scrambling away from him on the floor until her back hit the cold wall. With nowhere else to run, she could only sit there, and breathe heavily in an attempt to wake herself up. Gray clouds obscured her mind, and she felt so dizzy from being so forcibly awakened. 

 

Slowly, Kylo stood up from the chair, his height intimidating and seeming to fill up the room. Was he always that tall? Rey assumed that he was around 6 feet, maybe even taller. From her pitiful position on the floor, Kylo seemed like a giant, a great predator. His long legs carried him towards her position on the wall, and she covered her face, fearful of his next actions. 

 

She heard the shuffle of his cloak, the sound of fabric shifting against skin. Without opening her eyes, she knew that he was close, close enough to be in her personal space. 

 

Wait, why was she hiding? She shouldn’t be scared! Here she was, the padawan of the great Jedi master Luke Skywalker, and she was cowering from an enemy. She should be fighting him now, should be emerging victorious from a dance of lightsabers and death. 

 

She snapped open her eyes, and promptly shrieked at how close he was. His eyes were not 2 centimeters from her own, his nose almost touching hers. How had she not felt his breath? It was impossible for a human being to be so close to another without blinking, or even breathing. 

 

Then again, Kylo Ren was not a human. He was a monster, called from the very depths of Hell. The very depths of her own, personal Hell. 

 

So, Rey stretched out her hands, and grabbed onto Kylo’s shoulders, trying her hardest to push him back. The muscles that she had recently gained under training with master Skywalker strained with effort, pushing their hardest and with all their energy. 

 

“Let…. me…. go!” Rey strained with the effort of trying to push him back, but he was just too strong. He was a stone wall, and she was a feather. So, she decided to attack another area. A more sensitive one. 

 

Up shot her foot, and it found its target. Kylo doubled over, groaning in pain while grabbing his groin area, his head banging on the ground in an attempt to relieve the pain. A monster he may be, but even a male monster has a weakness. Wincing slightly, Rey felt his pain through their bond, and she was thankful that she was a woman. 

 

The door was still open from when Kylo had entered, and Rey quickly ran through it without giving a second thought. 

 

Blaster shots and lasers flew over her head and around her.  _ Oh right,  _ thought Rey.  _ I forgot about the stormtroopers. _ But unlike last time, she could not just persuade them using the Force. It had been only two back then, and now she was being pursued by a squad of at least 15. 

 

“Don’t shoot, you fools! She is to be unharmed!” 

 

How had Kylo gotten up so fast? She had kicked men in the same area before, and they remained in pain for a good week or so. Hearing her voice, she ran even faster, knowing that her advantage and head start was now gone. 

 

When she rounded corners, she didn’t even attempt to act as a worker on the ship. Surely the stormtroopers all knew who she was, the famed prisoner of Kylo Ren. Each time she turned through the halls, she pushed down as many stormtroopers as she could, attempting to slow their pursuit. 

 

Behind her now was a steady line of stormtroopers, ones that she attracted from running through the halls. Without their blasters, they were weaponless, and unable to shoot at Rey. Their heavy armor weighed them down, and Rey was thankful for her flowly desert garb. 

 

_ There! A door! _ Rey saw what appeared to be a room full of weapons, and she quickly ran into it, forgetting to scan for hostile beings. 

 

When she run through, she realized that it was not a weapons room. Rather, it was a control room. Men and women manned controls, but turned around to find the source of noise and clamor that was her. In the center, on a raised platform, she saw a man with red hair, a snarky face that was currently surprised, and with the distinctive black robes of the First Order. 

 

Oh, she had heard stories about this bastard. She knew all his torture preferences, all the ways he tormented prisoners. This man was single-handedly responsible for so many deaths, and Rey felt her gaze grow red with anger. Before she could stop herself, she walked, more like ran, to the man, and tackled him to the ground. 

 

Then, she started to punch his face, punch his chest, punch everywhere she could reach. 

 

“This,” she punched. “Is for,” she added another punch. “My friends,” another punch. “You fucking bastard!” She punched him once more, and saw some teeth fly from his mouth to scatter onto the floor. Good. Maybe that would give him a scar to remember.

Then, before she could do more damage, before she could carry out more justice to the sickening bastard who deserved it, her arms were seized from behind her and she was forcibly dragged up. 

 

That still didn’t stop her from kicking the wounded lieutenant on the floor. “You fucking piece of shit! I hope you fucking die!” She spat the last word, spitting onto the ground, before the stormtroopers holding her finally cuffed her hands and dragged her away from the lieutenant. 

 

Hux stood, his face so bloody he resembled a tomato. So this was the girl that Kylo was so infatuated with. She sure was like Kylo, disdainful of her superiors and eager to throw a tantrum. However, that didn’t give her the right to punch him. 

 

“I’m sorry to disappoint,” said Hux with much difficulty, for he was missing his front two teeth, and stumbling on his injured feet. “But I won’t be the one dying tonight.” He limped closer to her, hissing with pain at each step. Finally, his bloodied eyes and broken nose were inches from her own, but her face was far more unharmed. 

 

Then, he slapped her, nice and hard. Rey’s head was turned to the side with the force of his hit, and she could feel wetness grow on her cheek. No doubt there would be a bruise tomorrow, but now there would also be a scar. 

 

Hux slapped her again, from the other cheek, and she felt the same wetness. She saw Hux raise his hand again, ready to hit her, and she closed her eyes in preparation. 

 

But the slap never came. Rey hesitatingly opened her eyes, and nearly fainted at what she saw. 

 

Hux was clawing at his throat, eyes feral and wild. Desperate to be able to breathe, he made sounds of distress, sounding more animal than human. Rey knew what Force-choking was, but she never saw it in person. Up until now. 

 

She knew who was responsible for Hux’s pain, and she felt strong arm grab her from behind. 

 

“How dare you,” growled Kylo, accentuating each syllable, “touch what is mine?” With a flick of his hand, Hux was sent flying in the air, crashing loudly and violently into a control board across the room. The workers and technicians all stopped what they were doing, and cowered under their desks, fearful of Kylo’s tantrum. 

 

“You’re coming with me, Rey.” Instead of the gentle warden that he had been, anger and disappointment was evident in his voice. He dragged her out of the control room, and quietly led her back to her prison. 

 

“I told you, Rey, dont’ even try to escape!” Now, he was actually dragging her, and moving so fast that Rey didn’t even have a chance to walk using her own feet. 

 

“I treat you gently, with kindness, and this is how you repay me?” He flung her onto a wall, slamming her shoulders with great strength causing pain to shoot up her spine. “We’re going to have to make some changes, Rey. No more kindness for you if you’re going to continue to act ungrateful.” He flung her off the wall as quickly as he had flung her onto it, and continued to walk. 

 

The rest of the journey was made in outward silence. But inside their mind link, Rey felt every droplet of anger and hatred combine, forming a dark sea of pure evil and hate that threatened to drown her. 

 

When they stopped, Rey was quickly thrown into what seemed like a closet, and she fell onto the cold floor.

 

“You get what you deserve, Rey,” said Kylo, slamming the door to her prison cell. “And this is what you deserve. When I come back, I expect you to be changed.” With that, he briskly walked away, footsteps fading into the distance until Rey was left alone in silence. 

 

From the looks of the dirty walls and cramped space, she was in a prison cell. Good. She would rather be here, suffering and cold, doing her duty to the Resistance than be with Kylo in his own personal, luxurious, and sickening room. 

 

So, she curled up on the tiny mat in the prison cell, and lay in a fetal position to attempt to save warmth. But when she breathed, it turned into a cloud, hanging in the cold air before disappearing. 

 

She was so cold, so hurt, and so tired on the outside. So, she turned inside for help. 

 

_ There is no emotion, there is only peace. _

 

\----------------------------------

 

It broke his heart to leave her there. It really did. 

 

Why was he so uncontrollable with her? Why did he want to hurt her, to kiss her, and to do so many things with her? She was like a drug, and he was now deep in his addiction. Now, he needed to see a doctor. 

 

He approached his master’s throne room, and entered the cold temple. His breath fogged, and he became very thankful for his thick cloak and robes which provided heat in what seemed like the coldest place in the universe. He bowed to one knee in front of the throne, and opened his mind to allow his master to see.

 

Snoke watched Kylo’s memories, replaying each of his kisses with Rey, laying bare his lust and his desire. Snoke watch, rather gleefully, as Rey punched and kicked Hux, lost in her hate and her anger. 

 

Finally, he was done observing.    
  


“She is indeed proving to be quite troublesome, as I can see.” Kylo said nothing, but knew that his master spoke the truth. Not one day, and she had managed to hurt one of the most important lieutenants of the First Order, albeit a lieutenant that he hated with a burning passion. 

 

“It is no matter, though, master.” He looked up into his master’s face, trying to convince Snoke to not punish Rey for her foolhardy mistakes. “She is full of hate, full of anger, and she is very close to the dark side.”

 

Snoke leaned back into his throne, contemplating his padawan’s words. 

 

“Kylo Ren, have you heard of the Bond of Unity?” Taken aback by his master’s words, Kylo searched deep within the memories of his training, before finally remembering the meaning. 

 

“I believe I have, master.” Why would Snoke bring up such a topic? Force-bonding through marriage was very rare in the Sith ways, found to be meaningless and worthless. 

 

“And you tell me that this girl is strong? Stronger than you perhaps?”

 

Kylo’s face burned with indignance. “She is not stronger than me, master.”

 

“Then why do I see the proof of it on your face?”

 

Kylo’s hand involuntarily reached up to feel his scar, and deep down he knew that his master was right. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Rey had the potential to be so much stronger than he could ever be. 

 

“Yes, she may one day be stronger than you.” Snoke had been peering into his padawan’s thoughts, into Kylo’s insecurities and flaws. It was not just dumb luck that saved Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base. The girl had every chance and excuse to kill him, but she had let him live. She was truly powerful, and could be a great weapon for the Resistance.

 

“And that is why,” said Snoke, leaning forward from his chair, “you must combine your powers through a Bond of Unity.”

 

Kylo was being ordered to...marry Rey? Of course, he had wished for it, had dreamed about such a possibility every night, but he never thought it was possible. His version included a willing Rey, a Rey that had already been seduced to the dark side. 

 

“There will be plenty of time for her to fall to the Dark Side, Kylo Ren. After you two are tied together by the Force itself, she will not be able to escape.”

 

Nodding, Kylo thought through his master’s plan. The Force bond already existing between him and Rey was strong, but it wasn’t mentally or physically binding. The Bond of Unity would render them inseparable, as partners in battle and marriage. 

 

It was a perfect plan. She would never be able to escape, never able to run away. The Dark side would consume her, would take her for its own, and she would become the perfect companion, the one that he had dreamed of ever since his days at the academy.

 

Finally. It was time to make good on his promise to Rey. He would never leave her again, and she would never leave him. 

 

\----------------------------------

 

_ “Tell me a story, Ben,” sighed a young Rey, settling into her bed. Ben stood watch over her, stroking her hair like he did every night before she went to sleep.  _

 

_ “Which one today? I thought you wanted me to sing you a lullaby.” _

 

_ “I don’t care, any old story will do.” Rey sighed, loving the sensation of Ben petting her hair with his gentle, soft hands.  _

 

_ “Did I tell you the story about the princess and the prince, Rey?” Rey’s eyes shot open, her excitement causing her eyes to sparkle like diamonds.  _

 

_ “Oooh, a princess!” She clapped her hands together, giddy with excitement. “Does it have a happy ending?” _

 

_ Ignoring her, Ben began to tell his story.  _

 

_ “Once, there was a prince. A lonely prince. His father, the king, was never around, and his mother would never pay him any attention.” Ben’s hands never left Rey’s hair, his fingers moving of their own accord.  _

 

_ “They left him one day, in a kingdom ruled by his uncle.” _

 

_ “Was this a good uncle?” _

 

_ “He was a king too, but he was a weak one. His ways of battle were weak, his teachings and his writings all worthless.” _

 

_ “So, a bad uncle?” _

 

_ “Yes, Rey, a bad uncle. Now, stop interrupting, unless you don’t want me to continue the story.” _ __   
  


_ “Sorry, Bennie. Please continue” _

 

_ “Good girl. Because his parents had left him, the prince was sad and lonely, wasting away his time. He was becoming like his uncle, weak and foolish. _

 

_ But one day, it all changed. A beautiful princess came to the palace, a girl that shone like the very sun itself. The way she moved, the freckles on her face, the way she smiled; all of her actions were beautiful and graceful. _

 

_ Within her, the prince found his strength. With that strength, he would be able to cast aside his uncle’s foolish teachings, to be able to gain real power and strength.” _

 

_ “What happens to the princess?” Little Rey forgot her promise to remain silent, the question that had been tugging at her finally leaving her lips.  _

 

_ “I was getting to that part.  _

 

_ The princess fell in love with the prince, and they got married on a beautiful summer’s day. The prince became the king of the kingdom, overthrowing his uncle’s regime. With his coronation, he taught the kingdom the true ways of power, and the kingdom flourished and became powerful. Together, the new queen and king ruled the subjects with power and authority, and they remained in love until the end of time.” _

 

_ Finished, Ben became silently, focusing on Rey’s reaction.  _

 

_ “So, is it a happy ending?” Rey asked softly.  _

 

_ Ben lowered his head to place a kiss on her forehead and stood, getting ready to leave so he himself could rest.  _

 

_ “The ending is up to you, Rey.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooOOOOhhH SUSPENSE


	27. Chapter 27

_ Stay where you are, Rey, do not move. I’m coming for you. _

 

Rey was sitting on the cold bed in the prison when she heard Kylo talk through their mind link. Groaning, she rolled around so she was lying on her opposite side, and squirmed to get comfortable. She had grown numb to the cold a while ago, and her shivers had ceased. 

 

Ugh. Kylo was coming?

 

She wasn’t sure what she felt about his return to her. One half of her was relieved, wanting his warmth and his comforting presence, while the other part cursed him to hell for being the monster that he was. 

 

The sharp sound of footsteps on the cold stone floor echoed down from the hallway to her cell. She knew who it was by the disturbing presence in her mind, the acknowledgement of the presence of another Force-user. 

 

The footsteps grew louder, grew faster, and stopped altogether when they came right to her cell. She didn’t move, didn’t even hurry or slow her breathing. With Kylo, there was the possibility of a warm room, of food and of blankets. 

  
“I know you want to come out, Rey.”

 

“Who said I did?” Even if it was true that she desired a warm shelter, she was determined not to give in to Kylo. She would suffer as long as she needed to, if she was forced to retain her independence and her freedom. 

 

So, instead of letting her make the decision, he made the decision for her. Unlocking the door, he walked quickly to the small mattress, and scooped her up bridal style again. 

 

“Are you never going to stop doing that?” Rey asked. 

 

“Do what?” Kylo was genuinely confused. What was he doing to her that she was asking about?

 

“I meant about you carrying me like some sort of child.” 

 

Then, Kylo let his arms fall, and she immediately tumbled towards the floor. She attempted to rise, but found her legs to be stiff and sore. Raising her hand, she grasped the mattress for support, and shakily rose to be at her full height. Once she had stood up, the cold came back to her, and she shivered while attempting to warm herself up by running her hands up and down her arms. 

 

Kylo reached towards her again, no doubt to attempt to carry her. 

 

“No,” said Rey, “I’ll rather walk by myself.”

 

Upon her words, Kylo silently pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his robes, and said “you would rather wear these chains?”

 

Nodding vigorously, Rey knew that Kylo was attempting to make sure that she didn’t try to escape. Of course, that was what she had been hoping for; a chance to run away. 

Kylo silently clipped the handcuffs on her, and Rey gritted her teeth at the feel of cold metal on her chafed wrists. 

 

Wordlessly, Kylo tugged at the chain, and Rey stumbled behind him as they exited the prison cell. It felt good to be in a hallway again, to be somewhere that was spacious, unlike that tiny closet called a prison cell. 

 

She had forgotten how fast Kylo walked. Stumbling and tripping, she had to go into a slow jog to keep up with his fast strides. 

 

“Where are we going?” 

 

Kylo suddenly stopped when she asked the question, and Rey found herself falling to the floor from the momentum. Groaning, she rubbed her ankle, knowing that a bruise would soon be present. 

 

Suddenly, Kylo swept her up into his arms, against her protests. Did he ever take no for an answer? Her hands were still chained and cuffed, so she had no opportunity to punch his smirking face like he deserved. 

 

So instead, she huffed, and pouted. “Are you ever going to answer my question, Kylo?”

 

He continued walking, but to her surprise, he actually answered. “Where we’re going, my love,” she shivered at the name he called her, “is our future.”

 

“What do you mean? What’s ‘our future’?” Was he going to kill her? Maybe let her go back to the Resistance? Was he bringing her to his master? The possibilities ran through her head at a dizzying speed. 

 

She looked up at Kylo’s stern expression, waiting for an answer. But before one came, Kylo stopped walking, and she found herself to the entry of his own chambers. Ugh. Not again. 

 

He opened the door by scanning his face, fingerprints, voice command, and Rey knew that she didn’t have a chance to escape. Maybe she could bypass the voice command, but the fingerprint and face recognition were too complicated for her to even understand. 

 

Walking in, Kylo slowly lowered her onto the bed, before removing his cloak and his outerwear. Wearing nothing but a tunic and his pants, he didn’t look like the stern commander of the First Order. He looked familiar, comforting, and not like the monster he really was. 

 

He removed the key to her handcuffs from his pocket, and immediately unlocked Rey from her restraints. Rubbing her wrists, Rey sighed with relief. Sure, she might be back in the den of the monster, but at least here it was warm and comfortable.

 

“Come on, Rey,” said Kylo, as he slowly and gently lifted her up from the bed and began walking her towards the door to the bathroom. “Go take a shower.”

 

A shower? What was that? Some sort of torture device? The one time she had gotten a glimpse of a shower, all she had seen were multiple buttons in what seemed like a confinement tube. 

 

During her days as Luke’s padawan and at the Resistance camp, her cleaning had consisted of regular dips in the freshwater streams. In the forest, with no one around, it was peaceful and it was effective. 

 

She knew Kylo had heard all of her thoughts through their link, for he practically roared with laughter, doubling over so his back was hunched. Feeling a sudden need to defend herself and the blush on her cheeks, all Rey could do was cover her face. Finally, Kylo’s wheezing and chuckles stopped, and when he lifted his head, Rey was surprised to see that his cheeks were tinted red, and the smile on his lips and in his eyes. 

 

“Don’t feel embarrassed, Rey. I’ll do it for you this time.” He led her gently into the bathroom, and walked to the giant tub in the middle. Immediately he pulled on the two levers, and Rey watched in fascination as the water bubbled into the giant tub. 

 

All that water, pouring out in great torrents like the rivers that she had never seen on Jakku. Such a device could have saved her so many sleepless nights of thirst on Jakku, so much pain and suffering. 

 

Kylo stopped the flow of water when the tub looked almost full, suspending the room once again into silence. He turned to look at her, and spoke. 

 

“Undress.”

 

Rey’s mouth opened, wide and agape with surprise and disgust. “What the hell, Kylo?” Kylo seemed undisturbed by his own command, and crossed his arms. 

 

“If you want to feel clean, I suggest you do it.”

 

“Not with you in the room.”

 

Kylo shrugged. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll leave.” He left the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. Rey hesitatingly began to undress, keeping her eyes on the door in case Kylo tried to take advantage of her situation. 

 

Finally, she was as naked as the day she was born. Unsure what to do, she looked around the room. Her distress and confusion must have been evident, for Kylo offered her the advice she desperately needed. 

 

_ Just go in the water, Rey. Let me know when I can come in.  _

 

Rippling, the water in tub was as clear as the very air itself. It was so clean, so untouched and undisturbed, something she had never seen during her days at Jakku. She dipped one foot in, and immediately felt the warmth of the water. The rest of her body followed her foot, and she curled up into a fetal position, hiding her most womanly parts. 

 

_ I’m okay now, Kylo.  _

 

It had surprised her that he hadn’t tried to barge into the bathroom while she was undressing. Or maybe he had peeked through their mind link?

 

“You don’t need to worry about that, Rey. I’ll never take advantage of you like that.” Kylo had snuck in silently without a trace, and Rey jumped, startled, disturbing the peaceful water. 

 

Kylo walked towards her until he was right next to the tub, less than a foot away. Unconsciously, Rey tugged her legs closer to her body, and her arms hugged her chest even tighter. Kylo would not be getting a peek of anything today, and hopefully never. 

 

Squatting, Kylo shifted his position so that he was behind her head, near where her hair lay tangled and and now wet. 

 

The sound of a bottle opening, and the noticeable squirt of liquid. 

 

Hands suddenly began massaging her head, and the sensation was so ticklish that Rey squirmed, and let out a giggle. 

 

“Keep still,” said Kylo. “I don’t want you to get this in your eye.” She could hear bubbles now, and smell the fruity scent of whatever Kylo was putting in her hair. His massaging hands felt nice, and she allowed herself to close her eyes and enjoy the feeling. 

 

“It’s called shampoo.” Kylo spoke so suddenly, but with a gentle tone. 

 

“Is it supposed to smell so nice?” Rey could never have enough of the smell. It was fruity, and it smelled better than the soap she had used before she became Kylo’s prisoner. 

 

“Mm-hmm. Smells like naso berries, doesn’t it?” The smell registered in her head. Naso berries. Even the name sounded fresh and playful. 

 

Kylo stopped massaging her head after a while, and Rey could hear the shampoo fizzing on her head. 

 

“Close your eyes so you don’t get shampoo in them.” Rey closed her eyes, fearful that the shampoo might hurt her eyes, might burn them or render her blind. Warm water began trickling down her head, and Kylo repeated the motion many time, until her hair felt nice and heavy. 

 

Then, he opened a different bottle, and began massaging her head with a different liquid. It smelled different, almost like fresh milk. 

 

“It’s conditioner. It makes your hair smooth.”

 

“Is this the reason for you luxurious hair?”

 

Kylo openly laughed at her joke, and Rey found herself smiling. Here was the commander of the First Order, washing her hair for her like a mother. 

 

Once again, Kylo rinsed her hair, and Rey felt cleaner than she had in months. But the water had started getting cold, and she found herself shivering. 

 

A quiet  _ thump _ turned her head to the left, and she saw what Kylo had thrown to her. It looked like a blanket, but only fuzzier and smaller. 

 

“That’s a towel. It’ll get you nice and dry.” Kylo left the room, knowing that Rey would want her privacy. When the door closed, Rey got up from the tub, and the cold air hit her, sharp and stinging like a knife. Without even hesitating, she quickly threw on the towel, draping it over her body like a blanket. It felt warm and secure, and it soaked up the water on her body very effectively. 

 

For the first time in her life, Rey felt clean. She felt pure, almost like a princess.

 

\------------------------------

 

It was torture, being so close to her but not being able to do anything. Innocent eyes, her beautiful face, her cute confusion, they were all like drugs to him. He had wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to take in her naked beauty. 

 

But she would fear him if he did that. She had to feel comfortable with him, feel happy and peaceful. 

 

The door to the bathroom creaked open, and Rey stuck out her face, her recently washed hair dripping onto the floor. 

 

“Where are my clothes?” She was hiding awkwardly behind the door, obstructing Kylo’s view of her. 

 

Beside him on the bed lay a beautiful white dress, one he had requested specifically from the tailors. It was an odd request, so different from the plain and harsh uniforms of the First Order. Taking the dress gently in his arms, he held it out for Rey to take. 

 

Awe was written on her face, her eyes viewing the dress with surprise and wonder. She took the dress hesitatingly, feeling the soft lace with her hands. It was a big difference from her dirty Jakku robes, so clean and so white. 

 

“Are you sure it’s for me?” She looked at him with eyes that were suspicious, eyes that were awaiting a joke or a prank.    
  


“Yes, it is. Put it on. I want to see how it fits you.” Rey closed the door once again, her wet feet making soft sounds on the tile. He could hear the shuffle of clothes, the sound of fabric against skin, and it made him shiver with desire. 

 

Finally, she came out from the bathroom, looking self-conscious and hugging her arms around her chest. 

 

It fit perfectly, like a glove. It hugged her curves, but still managed to retain the child-like cuteness that Rey had perfected. Not too little skin, but not too much showing. Simply put, it was perfect. She was perfect. 

 

Except for her still-wet hair that dripped water onto the floor. 

 

“I’ll need to fix your hair.” He patted the bed that he was currently sitting on, signaling for Rey to join him. He himself rose, going to the bathroom in search of the newly placed hair utilities that the service droids had put in the bathroom in anticipation of Rey. 

 

He walked back out, all of his tools once again in his hands, and immediately began to brush Rey’s hair, detangling all the knots. Her hair was now smooth, silky, and almost as luxurious as his own. 

 

He pulled her hair back into a simple bun, a style he had perfected. 

 

“Remember this?” He asked Rey, hoping that she had recovered the more detailed memories of their days together. Their days of happiness, innocence, and childhood love. 

 

“You mean when you tried to do my hair correctly? And failed epicly?” They both laughed, her high soprano contrasting his deep voice. Memories flooded through their bond, their young faces so bright and innocent. He tied her hair with the hair tie he had found in the bathroom, and finally put down the hairbrush.

 

He kissed her gently on the head, and she physically recoiled. That didn’t matter, though. She would get used to it soon enough.

 

Taking her hands in his, he looked deep into her eyes. 

 

“Rey, you must promise me that you will not try to escape. I am telling this for your own good.” To prove his point, he sent her images of torture, pain, and Hux’s face through their bond, satisfied when she winced and nodded vigorously. 

 

“Ok. I understand, Kylo.” 

 

With that point covered, he lifted her up from the bed, and put on his regular coat and all the other parts of his outfit. Knowing that Rey would be shivering, he covered her shoulders with a shawl. 

  
Together, they walked out of his room, anticipation flooding through his veins. In a few hours, it would be over, and Rey could never escape again. 


	28. Chapter 28

Rey really had no idea where she was headed. All she knew was that she was wearing the most beautiful dress that she had ever seen, and that she was holding hands with Kylo.

 

Not just holding hands. Their fingers were tangled together, entwined and inseparable while they walked down the hallway in perpetual outward silence, their footsteps in sync. But inside their mind bond, it was completely different.

 

_It’s alright, Rey, you don’t be afraid or nervous._

 

_Well, can you at least tell me where we’re headed? Maybe that will help calm me down._

 

_All I can tell you is that there will be people. Some will want to kill you, and others will want to kiss you. There’s going to be the usual ass-kissers, though, so watch out for them._

 

_Do I have to say anything? Or can I just awkwardly stand behind you?_

 

_Standing behind or beside me, without saying anything, would be perfect._

 

Throughout their entire mental exchange, they remained silent, but Kylo would occasionally squeeze Rey’s hand, giving her reassurance that she desperately needed. Nothing, however, erased her confusion. What was going on? What was the special occasion?

 

They walked further down hallways, twisting and turning like a labyrinth. Rey had long since given up on trying to memorize the way, finding it to be too complicated and dizzying. As they walked, sounds of conversation drifted towards them, and once again Rey felt the nausea of nervousness pitch in her stomach.

 

Finally, they reached the doors. Elaborate and decorative, they were out of place on the stern First Order ship. It was not stormtroopers who guarded the room, but rather men wearing cloaks like Kylo’s. Members of the Knights of Ren. Stern expressions, and minds that were defended by mental walls of steel.

 

They nodded to their leader, not even giving Rey a second glance. The doors swung open, before stopping with a heavy _thud_.

 

All conversation stopped, all laughter, and all talk immediately silenced when Kylo and Rey entered the room.

 

It was like a ballroom, but there was no shiny gold or bright colors. It was dark, metallic steel, perfectly capturing the characteristics of the First Order. The people were similarly dressed to the room, multiple shades of black and gray.

 

No one was wearing anything similar to the white currently on Rey. She felt like a lamb, being led to the slaughter. All eyes were on her, and she felt naked, her skin burning with the attention of all in the room.

 

As one, the entire room sunk to its knees, bowing to their lord. Unsure of what to do, Rey instead clutched Kylo’s hand tighter, getting a reassuring squeeze in return.

 

“You may rise.” At Kylo’s deep command, everyone in the room rose in a unified action, and all the talk and chatter resumed, albeit in a softer and more dampened tone. Feeling more at ease, Rey let out a sigh.

 

More eyes were focused on her now, more judging and curious eyes that regarded her with everything from disgust to happiness. It seemed that Kylo was right. Different people judged her with different emotions.

 

A man approached, a man who wore robes naming him as a Knight of Ren. His expression was upturned in a sneer. Disgusted eyes leered at her from his face, and Rey instinctively moved behind Kylo, fearful of the man’s gaze.

 

_That’s right, Rey, hide behind me. This man is dangerous. I’ll handle it._

 

“Greetings again, Kylo Ren.” The man spoke, or rather, sneered, Kylo’s name, pronouncing it with distrust and hatred. Rey immediately recognized him; one of the knights who had been present at Baku’s slaughter.

 

“Loman.” Kylo did not greet the man, did not offer any sweetened greetings or false words of well-being. It was obvious that these two despised each other, their hate-filled gazes heating up the room.

 

“Is this the girl I’ve heard so much about?” Loman ran his eyes up and down Rey, and she shivered at the way his gaze passed her body. She hid herself behind Kylo, who almost pushed her away from Loman. “She’s the one you chose?”

 

Chose? What was she chosen for? She looked up at Kylo’s face, and tried to get information through their bond. But he was a stone wall, unreadable and unmoving.

 

“You heard correctly, Loman.” Loman raised his eyebrows, gazing at Rey with both appreciation and surprise.

 

“Well then,” said Loman, and he bowed to the ground in a gesture of respect. But the way he bowed was filled with contempt, and was more sarcastic and sassy than any other bow Rey had ever seen. “I expect to see more of you, my Lord.” He turned his eyes to gaze upon Rey. “And you, my Lady.”

 

Watching Loman’s back disappear through the crowd once more, Rey wondered at his choice of words.

 

“What did he mean by ‘my Lady’?” She directed her question towards Kylo, who was still gazing hatefully towards the direction of Loman’s exit.

 

“You don’t need to worry about that. You’ll find out soon enough. Just stay away from him, okay?” Agreeing with Kylo for once, she nodded her head vigorously. She wouldn’t go near that man even if he was her final hope.

 

\-------------------------

 

Excitement and suspense flew through Kylo’s mind, and he cursed the small trivialities and other celebrations that the First Order was so fond of. All he desired at the moment was to rush to the ceremony, to quickly tie Rey to his side.

 

People had come to the pre-ceremony party to, as he had heard, catch a glimpse of his future partner. But judging by the way people kept glancing over to the beautiful woman by his side, by how they gave her sweetened and fake smiles, he knew that they just wanted to get on Rey’s good side, hoping that her favor might bring them more power.

 

Phasma and Hux mingled with the crowd, and gave Kylo a friendly nod when they made eye contact. Thankfully, neither of them approached him for conversation, although Hux gave Rey a glare strong enough to kill.

 

Finally, he heard the brass doors at the other end of the room swing open, announcing the arrival of the priest. The heavy _boom_ of the doors reverberated around the ballroom like an echo, lingering long after the sound had faded. Silence dominated the room again, and all heads turned to the doors.

 

A man walked into the room, and with him came the air of superiority and wisdom. He was an old man, his face set with wrinkles and lines. Sith was not a fitting title for him; for he called himself one of the Grey Jedi. Not dark nor light, but rather existing only to maintain the balance of the Force.

 

Once again, the people bowed as one. Kylo remained standing, as did Rey, for they were the whole purpose and reason for the ceremony. They stood tall and significant among the bowed and humbled crowd.

 

The priest beckoned with one pointed finger, slow and solemn. At this signal, Kylo proceeded to the front of the room, with Rey walking hesitatingly along. Reaching the feet of the priest, Kylo bent down so that the priest might be able to continue with the ceremony. Rey, unsure what to do, knelt down in front of the priest.

 

So far, she was acting fine, calm and composed like the queen she would shortly become. But Kylo was still holding on fiercely to her hand, clutching it with strength and stability.

 

The priest extended his hands again, resting one on Kylo’s head and the other on Rey’s. She squirmed, uncomfortable, and Kylo knew that she hated the feeling of bowing down to a superior.

 

Energy flowed into his mind, and he knew that Rey was experiencing the same. Then, a sharp _twist_ of his mind caused him to hiss with pain.

 

Memories ran through him, visions and emotions that were not his own.

 

_A crying child, a solemn teenager, an adult who had given up all hope._

 

_Tears for a family long gone, rough hands from a lifetime of scavenging. Endless days of sand and continuous nights of disappointment._

 

_Gentle love, a gentle soul. Clothed in white and with a soul brighter than the very sun itself. A gentle soul to combat his own black heart._

 

\-------------------------

 

For Rey, it was different. Very different.

 

_A young boy, family hugs of warmth and genuine happiness._

 

_Another younger girl, innocent eyes and warm brown hair in three distinct buns at the back of her head. Jokes shared, laughter made._

 

_A stern master, meditation and teaching, days on an island so familiar. Whispers of power in the dark, whispering the boy’s worst fears and failures._

 

_The turn to the dark, the humming of a red lightsaber._

 

_The longing for a companion, a certain one, one that had been gone for far too long._

 

\-------------------------

 

_Their memories became one, the idea of darkness and light blurring into a neutral gray._

 

_Their distinct power, the Jedi and the Sith, combined, a torrent of unleashed energy, a sea of power that the universe had never seen before._

 

_It could save the universe, this power._

 

_Or, it could destroy it._

 

\-------------------------

 

For the silent audience during the ceremony, it was all silent. Both participants, one dressed in black and the other in white, still lay prostrate and silent before the grand priest.

 

Then, a great power flooded the room.

 

Those who were Force-sensitive clutched their heads, screaming with pain as the Force was greatly disturbed, ripples of energy that continued for minutes, for an eternity. Some thrashed about on the floor, others rendered motionless as they stood in their present positions, paralyzed by the pure power flowing through the room.

 

The power was overwhelming, such energy never before seen in the galaxy. Never before seen in the universe. Energy that was unrivaled, energy that was as raw as it was strong and beautiful. Energy that sang, energy that cried, energy that danced a ritual of dark and light, white and black, sadness and happiness. Energy that was as harsh as the devil itself, energy that was more pure and gentle than an angel descended from heaven.  

 

It made some cry with happiness, and it made others weep for silence. It uplifted people’s souls, and it made others feel more depressed than ever before. It was a gentle whisper, and it was a loud shout.

 

Then, somewhere in the middle of all the suffering and happiness, it combined into one.

 

The ceremony was done.

 

\-------------------------

 

Somewhere far off in the galaxy, somewhere yet unknown to mankind, Luke Skywalker opened his eyes.

 

The Force was disturbed, more disturbed that it ever had been, or ever should be. As he was contemplating the cause, stroking his beard in confusion, the energy hit him.

 

A Jedi Master, trained and skilled with the Force, was rendered helpless on the floor with the energy, clutching his head and screaming with the pain. It burned like fire, but it was colder than the iciest water.

 

He realized then, that it was not just one Force signature, but rather _two_ Force signatures. Both familiar, both belonging to his students of long ago. Both combined in the dance of energy that was currently pinning him to the floor in everlasting agony.

 

As it faded, as he once again regained enough senses to hear himself breathing heavily on the floor, Luke Skywalker realized his mission.

 

The two had gone too far this time. A Unity Bond? That was near unthinkable!

 

But he knew why Kylo would attempt such a thing. Rey’s power was formidable, strong enough to be the greatest weapon of the First Order. Now, there was no telling what Kylo would do with his newfound power.

 

Throwing on his robe, grabbing his lightsaber, the Jedi Master rushed out into the night, boarding a ship, and piloting it deep into the unknown, returning back to his sister and back to the Resistance.

  
Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Master, the hero of a past generation, was now joining the fight.


	29. Chapter 29

“Mama! You’re finally here!”

 

At the sound of the voice, Rey opened her eyes, quickly turning her head to survey her surroundings. 

 

It was dark, blacker than the darkest night. She felt like she was floating, like she was effortlessly swimming through air. Just like the time when she had regained her memories. But what else did she forget? What other important key of her life was she missing?

 

“Mama!” Once again, the voice cried out. It was gentle, soft, and in the high soprano of a young child. Turning herself around, she searched for the source of the noise, both fearful and excited about what she would fine. 

 

“Mama!” This time, it was much closer. Right behind her. Something tugged at her leg, and she instinctively screamed, and covered her face with fear. But the thing holding her leg did not budge, and she hesitatingly opened her eyes and looked down. 

 

It was a child. A small human girl with big, wondrous eyes that looked deep within her own. 

 

Something was familiar about this child. Something about the little girl’s hair struck a deep cord within Rey, and the warm brown eyes that looked into her own reminded her of someone else, as did the girl’s big nose and ears. 

 

“Mama!” The girl closed her eyes, focusing on hugging Rey with all of her strength. Was this little girl lost? But why did she look familiar? Did Rey perhaps have a younger sister that she never knew about?

 

Then, the little girl gasped, and let go of Rey’s leg. But where was she running?

 

“Daddy!” The little girl ran right into another pair of legs, and began hugging them just like she had hugged Rey’s. Arms scooped up the little girl, and she laughed with delight. “Daddy, you’re back!” 

 

The daddy, however, was someone that Rey would never expect to become one. A man usually stern, a man of violence and death. But in this dream, this vision, or whatever it was, Kylo Ren was smiling, gazing upon the girl with love and kindness. 

 

It was then that Rey realized exactly what she was looking at. This was not the past at all. Rather, it was the future. 

 

The future of a smiling Kylo picking up their young daughter, the future of an entire family together, no war and no hatred. No Snoke and no First Order, no need for the Resistance. A place where she and Kylo could be together, free to love and free from masters and loyalties. 

 

Kylo looked right at her, as did the little girl. 

 

“This could be our future, Rey,” said Kylo. “All you have to do is let me in.”

 

Then, the darkness  _ twisted _ , and Rey lost all sensation of up or down, of right or left. She lost herself in confusion, and all was not what it ceased to be. 

 

\---------------------------

 

“Wake up, my love.” 

 

Rey groaned, not wanting to open her eyes for fear of where she was. But by some odd mystery, by some unknown force, she was forced to open her eyes. Light immediately flooded into her pupils, and she hissed in distaste. 

 

When the light finally settled, she was able to look around and gaze at her setting. She was in Kylo’s room again, which seemed to be her most usual habitat. Lying in Kylo’s bed with her white dress still on, she saw her captor looming over her. 

 

“What happened?” Why was she suddenly so obedient? What was that odd vision that she just had?

 

“I prevented you from leaving me,” said Kylo, caressing her hand in his own, “ever again.”

 

How? She could still try to escape whenever she wanted. Nothing was keeping her now in this room besides her fatigue and Kylo’s presence. Not the mention the heavy security he kept. 

 

Feeling something cold on her finger, something unwanted, she looked down onto her hand to see a giant ring. It was shiny and glittery, reflecting off light and seeming to give off light also. Sure, it was pretty, but it felt uncomfortable and binding. 

 

On Kylo’s finger there was also a ring. But while hers was whiter than the purest snow, Kylo’s ring was darker than the blackest nightmare. 

 

“I had them made just for us,” said Kylo, noticing Rey’s apprehensive gaze towards the rings. “They’re unremovable, and they’re a part of us now.”

 

“What happened to me?” Rey hated how hoarse and scared she sounded. 

 

Kylo began to stroke her hair once more, his ring brushing against her forehead. “I combined our powers into one. My power is yours, and your power is mine. We’re tied together, you and I. Our minds and our souls are now one.”

 

Rey gulped, knowing what it meant. Now, she couldn’t escape. But, that didn’t mean that the Resistance couldn’t take her away by force. But for now, she had to act like the obedient partner to Kylo Ren. 

 

She still couldn’t comprehend what was now between her and Kylo. Was it just a complicated version of the Force-bond they already had? Something about a Bond of Unity, an old marriage rite used by the Jedi. 

 

“Are we married now?” 

 

As way of an answer, Kylo bent down, and kissed Rey lightly on the forehead. “Yes, we are. You now officially have the title of ‘Lady.’”

 

She didn’t want any of this. She just wanted to be Rey Kenobi, she just wanted to go back to the Resistance and her friends. She would gladly give up the title of ‘Lady’ and go back to being the scavenger she once was. 

 

But there was a part of her that was glad; a part that was happy that she was now someone important. Was this Kylo’s train of thought corrupting her mind through their bond? Or was it her own dark desires? For her own sake, she hoped it was the former. 

 

Kylo slowly lifted her from the bed, and she obediently got up. For now, she had to suck it up and pretend like she was happy next to Kylo. Opportunities would arise in the future, possibilities for her to contact the Resistance or her master. But for now, she had to plaster on a sweet smile. 

 

Oh, she wanted nothing more than to scream, to scream to her heart’s content. To launch herself at Kylo, to tear him apart with her anger. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Perhaps it was an effect of the bond, and she convinced herself that it was not her own feelings.

 

Kylo led her slowly to the wardrobe, and he opened the door. Inside were his regular black robes, but on the other side of the wardrobe, there was something completely different. Womanly robes, still in the dark colors of the Sith. Similar to her old scavenger garb, but more in the style of the First Order. 

 

“This is your new uniform. Wear it everyday during training, okay?” She hated the colors, hated how similar it looked to Kylo’s uniform. But instead of voicing her distaste, she merely nodded. If this was all she had to do, she would gladly put on the robes. 

 

But first, “what training?” 

 

Smiling down at Rey, Kylo’s eyes were filled with happiness. “You’re the commander of the Knights of Ren alongside me now, Rey, and you will act as such. But first, you have to train.”

 

“Who am I training with?” Images of Hux, Phasma, and Loman flashed through her mind, and she feared for her safety.    
  
“Isn’t it obvious, Rey?” She shook her head, looking up at Kylo with a confused expression. “You’ll be training with me.”

 

\---------------------------

 

Kylo smirked at Rey’s feeble attempts to hide her thoughts from him. They were now bonded together, their powers and minds united. Did she really think that she could hide her thoughts from him?

 

Images of escape, hopes of seeing her friends, the innocent facade that she was managing to retain. 

 

“You know, you don’t have to act fake around me.” He said, wanting to see what Rey’s real reaction would be. Silence greeted him. But then..

 

He found himself on the floor, being attacked by a flurry of punches and kicks, delivered by a quite enraged Rey. They were badly placed attacks, more fueled by anger than shaped by skill. 

 

Punches and kicks were still beating him, and he let Rey continue so that she could drain all her anger. Her attack was slowly waning, and he took his chance when she stopped to catch her breath. Pinning her to the wall by both of her wrists, he stared into her hate-filled eyes. 

 

“You know you can’t bring yourself to kill me.”

 

Rey didn’t respond to his words, but instead averted her eyes from him, staring at a patch on the ground. He was right. No matter how much she hated him, no matter how many opportunities she had to kill him, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. 

 

“Now that we’ve got settled, here.” Kylo tossed one of the Sith robes to her, and Rey barely managed to catch them before they landed on the floor. “Change into them, and then we’ll resume our training.”

 

Quickly, Rey ran into the bathroom, slamming the door. He heard the sound of the door lock, and knew that he had lost all the security she had felt from him. It hurt him, seeing her become so angry when she realized the truth of their bond. But they had time, they had an eternity to become closer, more time for her to realize that she loved him. 

 

The bathroom doors open, and he is jolted out of his thoughts. 

 

Dark robes hug Rey’s figure, staying close to her curves but also slightly flowing, similar to his own garb. She looked more alluring in darkness, seeming unsure but also beautiful. Like temptation, like lust itself. 

 

Nodding, Kylo showed her his appreciation for her outfit. He put on his own cloak, strapping his lightsaber to his side and got ready to depart. 

 

“Where’s my lightsaber?”

 

“I can’t trust you with it, Rey.” Kylo said, and discreetly hid the location of the lightsaber in his mind, blocked from their bond. “Soon, after you complete your training, you’ll make your own.”

 

Rey’s eyes light up with the excitement of being able to make her own lightsaber. Hating the First Order and the monster who blinded her to him was one thing, but even she couldn’t turn down the great feeling of making her own weapon. Luke’s lightsaber was great, but she often felt as if it didn’t fit her, didn’t twirl or slash gracefully in her hands. 

 

Almost smiling at Rey’s contagious happiness and excitement, Kylo spun around on his heels, and opened the door. Rey’s footsteps mirrored his owns, more unsure and hesitant. “Let’s go, love. You’re training shall begin.”

 

Finally, he could mold her into the perfect companion. He could now awaken darkness inside her, the darkness that had always been there. The hatred, anger, and loneliness, powerful emotions. 

 

All he had to do was awaken them once more, and she would finally be entrapped by the dark side, enslaved to him. 

 

\---------------------------

 

Leia felt his presence before she even saw the ship. She immediately ceased walking, and several of her lieutenants stumbled into her, confused by her actions. Nonetheless, she continued to stare at the sky, at a certain direction.    
  
And sure enough, not even a minute passed before he came zooming out of the sky. Still piloting in his dangerous ways, his reckless maneuvers. The ship landed, instantly scattered a confused crowd of Resistance onlookers. 

 

Luke Skywalker walked out from his ship, a stern expression of command and power on his face, and Leia laughed at how official he looked. Nothing like the jokester boy she had grown up with. 

 

But as Luke looked around, his commanding expression turned to confusion, as people he had never seen passed him, and buildings that were new to him stood tall in front of him. 

 

Laughing, Leia clapped her hands. Now, Luke was back to the little fool she had known so well. Still laughing, she walked forward, and Luke’s head immediately swiveled towards her direction, his expression turning into relief. 

 

“What are you doing here, brother?” Asked Leia, clapping her hand onto his shoulder in a sibling show of friendship. “Did you break your ship again?” She laughed, expecting Luke to join in or confirm her suspicions. 

 

To her surprise, Luke still maintained his expression of seriousness. He gripped Leia’s hand, removing it from his shoulder. 

 

“Something’s wrong, Leia. Very wrong.” Wasn’t something always wrong in the universe? Wasn’t her and her brother’s lives just long stories of sufferings and tragedies?

 

“Ben has bonded himself with Rey, combining their Force powers. I don’t know how. All I know is that Ben wants to seduce Rey to the dark side, to use her power to destroy all we have worked hard for.”

 

Ahh, there was that name again. Her son. Sometimes, she thought that the Skywalker family was responsible for all the tragedies in the universe. Her grandfather, her brother, herself, and now, her son. 

 

But a Force bond? She knew her son was hungry for power; he always had been. Even as a baby, he grabbed all the toys he could, and tugged at his uncle’s cloaks, desperate to learn how to channel power through the Force. With Rey’s power now under his command, he could easily wipe out the Resistance, and all her hope of his redemption would disappear. 

 

“We have to stop this,” said Leia, facing her brother. “I don’t know how to, but we’ll find a way.”   
  


Luke nodded, agreeing with his sister. “I researched these bonds on my way here, and there’s no way to break them. I can suppress Kylo’s hold on Rey, but I can’t completely sever it.”

 

The unspoken plan pulsed between them, settling from Luke’s stern expression to Leia’s pursed lips. 

 

Or, Rey could bring Kylo back to the light. 

 

Was it too much to hope for? Or could the redemption that Leia so desperately wanted actually be possible? All she knew for sure was that she had to try. 

 

“Well, come on, then.” She started off at a quick walked towards the command room, already dishing out orders to her nearest lieutenants. Luke walked behind her, his footsteps unsure and hesitant. Annoyed, Leia turned around. “Why are you always this slow Luke?”

  
“We’ve got two kids to save, so I suggest that you pick up your pace.”


	30. Chapter 30

As Rey walked with Kylo down the hallway, she scanned the walls, looking for anything to escape through. Trash chutes, elevators, bathrooms, all were fair game in her mind. But so far, all she had seen were the smooth pristine walls that were the signature of the First Order. 

 

She was so distracted by looking around, that she bumped straight into Kylo’s chest. 

 

“Oof! Why’d you stop so suddenly, Kylo?” She rubbed her nose, glaring up at Kylo. But he wasn’t the only one who had heard her words. Men in black robes, labeled Knights of Ren, surrounded her and Kylo. 

 

The knights sunk to their knees, downcasting their eyes to the ground. Murmuring greetings and saying formal titles, they groveled at her and Kylo’s feet. Uncomfortable, Rey shuffled her feet, while Kylo stood firmly where he was. 

 

Finally, he grabbed her arm quite forcefully, and dragged her far away from the knights. 

 

“What was that?” Rey whispered, not wanting the knights to hear her uncertainty. 

 

“They’re knights. Technically, they’re your nights, they have to follow your orders as well as mine.” Rey turned her head back to gaze at the knights once more, who had risen and were once again flitting around the training arena. Under her order? So if she commanded one to grab her a ship, they couldn’t refuse?

 

While she was thinking, Kylo grabbed her cheeks and turned her to face him. Preparing to slap him for such bold of a move, she hesitated when she saw how wild and fearful Kylo’s eyes were. 

 

“I brought you here so you could prove your power among them. Do you still remember how to use your staff?” Rey nodded, and Kylo let out an audible sigh of relief. “Alright, good. Hopefully no one here will challenge you to a duel. So, to shake them off, I’m going to mock-fight you. Are your wounds healed?”

 

Sure, she had bruises and cuts, but currently, none of them hindered her motions. She would able to fight well, maybe not as good as she would be able to had she been fully healed. 

 

So, Kylo walked out into the middle of the arena, and Rey followed him. Ceasing his walk, Kylo threw a staff to Rey, and picked one up for himself. Surprise seized Rey; did Kylo really know how to fight with a staff? She smirked, knowing that it would be a short battle. 

 

“Are you ready?” Kylo asked, giving his staff a few experimental twirls. It seemed that he wasn’t completely inadequate with a staff. While that was disappointing, it would give her more excitement fighting. 

 

By way of an answer, Rey launched her attacks, giddy with excitement at finally being able to let out her anger in the form of violence. She feinted to the right, and lunged at the left, expecting to give Kylo some nasty bruises. 

 

Surprisingly, Kylo expertly blocked her attack, stopping her lunge. Her breath hitched, and she looked into his eyes, allowing him to see her surprise. They stood quietly for a few seconds, their staffs trembling in a power of force. Knights had started to gather around, to witness the battle of their Lord and Lady. 

 

Faster than a split-second, faster than time itself, Kylo thrust his staff upwards, and Rey was broken out of the spell of silence. 

 

Once again, they were entwined in a dance of bone and blood. This time, there were no lightsabers, no hissing or crackling of Kylo’s red lightsaber clashing against Rey’s old blue one. Now, they were evenly matched, wooden staffs as their only toys. 

 

Moves as fast as lightning, faster than the mortal eye could follow. Their staffs wizzed around in the air, creating  _ whooshing _ sounds and twirling faster than a dancer’s ribbon. Perfectly mirroring Rey’s own acrobatic movements, Kylo’s feet danced around on the arena’s floor, more graceful than a ballerina’s steps. 

 

Groaning in exasperation, she felt her own strength waning. She hadn’t expected Kylo to be this skilled in staff fighting, but it didn’t matter. She was still much more stronger. 

 

There! She landed a hit! She grinned, loving the feel of the wooden staff sinking into flesh. Waiting, she expected her victory. 

 

But rather than falling down, he merely hissed in annoyance. 

 

Why wasn’t he on the ground screaming with pain? She had perfected that move on hundreds of scumbags back on Jakku! Men would drop to the ground, vulnerable and defeated. 

 

Instead, Kylo fought back, even harder than he did before. His attacks were a flurry of violence, and Rey found herself being forcibly retreated. Kylo’s staff was getting dangerously close to her, and she couldn’t fight back the panic rising in her throat. 

 

His attacks got faster, even harder, even closer, and then…

 

Rey felt her back hit the wall, and she knew it was hopeless. She closed her eyes, and lifted her staff in a feeble attempt at defense. Waiting for the hit, she tilted her head to one side, and squeezed her eyes even harder. 

 

But the attack never came. Strong arms encircled her own body, and she was drawn close into Kylo’s chest. 

 

It took her some time to realize that Kylo was hugging her. He groaned, letting out a sigh mixed with want, desire, and happiness. Not really able to move, it was all Rey could do to breathe within his suffocating embrace. 

 

“You’re so beautiful when you’re angry, did you know that?” Kylo was hugging her now, his nose breathing in her scent, and she could feel his breath on the top of her head. It was hot and heavy, but also comforting. 

 

“Kylo? I can’t exactly breathe.” Rey squeezed the words out, quite literally being suffocated by his love. This was not at all what she had imagined love was back on Jakku. 

 

Kylo broke away from her, but he still looked at her with a loving expression. His hand trailed down her cheek, and down onto her collarbones. It seemed innocent, but it felt so intimate, like a lover’s touch. She squirmed, not liking such a show of intimacy in front of the Knights.

 

“Uh, Kylo? You do realize the Knights are still here?”

 

Still looking at her, Kylo said “I know. Don’t mind them.” In fact, many of the Knights seemed to not mind at all. As if they were expecting this to happen. 

 

Rey sighed, sad that she was defeated. “So, I guess you won?”

 

“Not exactly. If we fought using lightsaber staffs, I would have been dead when you drew the first blood.”

 

So, stalemate? That was better than being defeated. 

 

Kylo separated himself from her, and lightly dragged her once again to the center. “Once again, Rey. This time, don’t drop your arms after lunging; you lose more energy that way.” 

 

Huh. She had never thought of that. Still, she bristled with anger at the thought of having to accept Kylo’s advice. 

 

All around her and Kylo, the Knights were regarding them with scared and curious expressions. It may be that Kylo had wanted Rey as his partner because of her attractiveness; but her fighting skill was by no means less than theirs. Truly, she was fitting for the title of their Lady, partner of their powerful lord. 

 

While she was looking around, none dared to make eye contact with her. Perhaps it was the way she had twirled and danced with her staff, or maybe it was the fact that their Lord found her interesting and valuable. 

 

All avoided eye contact, except for one. Loman was his name, and she could still remember the way he leered at her during the ball. How disgusting and uncivilized. But she didn’t break eye contact, determined to win. Sure enough, Loman soon averted his eyes, talking to another Knight and preparing to practice. 

 

Rey smirked, knowing that he knew her power. Good. She got a bad vibe off of that man, and she knew that she had to watch her back around him. The Force might not be able to stop an attack, or a quick knife to her back.

 

She kept her eyes on Loman, watching him until he left the arena. Aware that Kylo was also looking at Loman, she sent her uncertainties to him through the mind bond. 

 

_ Loman knows his place. He won’t dare to harm you.  _ Kylo’s voice drifted into her head, and she felt comforted by them.

 

_ What makes you so sure? _

 

_ Why do you think I made you demonstrate your fighting skills in such a public area? You know I hate the way the Knights look at you.  _

 

What, the way they looked at her with fear? Besides, their lightsabers were much more powerful than her current wooden staff. 

 

_ Seriously, Kylo. A few dances with a staff won’t intimidate anyone.  _

 

_ That’s why we’re going to continue training now. Your skills might be good, but you can still improve.  _

 

At Kylo’s words, Rey snorted. Oh, really? Her skills weren’t good enough? 

 

“Ready to go again?” Kylo once again moved into an attack position, wielding the staff with an expert hold. This time, Rey would not underestimate her enemy. 

 

In response, she shifted her feet into her fighting position, and balanced the staff in her hands. She held it higher this time, responding to Kylo’s advice. Through their mind bond, she could feel his satisfaction. 

 

“Yeah. Let’s do this.”

 

Once again, Rey lunged into battle, ready to gain more bruises from the upcoming sessions. But she hoped that she would not be the only one to emerge with bruises.

 

\-----------------------------

 

Hissing with pain, Kylo clutched his side. Rey, although tiny compared to his large frame, had whacked him quite professionally and many times over. Maybe a lightsaber blade wasn’t fitting for her. Perhaps a lightsaber staff?

 

He hated leaving Rey alone in their chambers. But it was the best he could do with Snoke’s sudden summons. 

 

Finding himself at the entrance to the throne room, he nodded to the guardian Knights, who immediately let their lord pass and enter. Shivering, he stepped into the throne room and knelt at his master’s feet, an action that he had done so many times. 

 

“I have felt the girl’s progress, Kylo Ren. I take it that she is fitting for you?”

 

Instead of letting Kylo answer, Snoke instead reached into his padawan’s mind, taking out Kylo’s most intimate memories. Every touch that he shared with Rey, every emotion of lust and want he had experienced. No words could ever describe his feelings, none were deep or descriptive enough for the love he held for his partner. 

 

Leaning back into his chair, Snoke smiled a satisfied grin. “Use those feelings of lust and desire. Remember, through passion you gain power.”

 

Kylo nodded, the familiar words of the Sith code ringing in his mind. So many powerful emotions had been awakened in him through Rey. Lust, deep and dark. Frustration at his desire, and his inability to touch her while she was still uncomfortable. 

 

“Any news on the Resistance?”

 

After taking Rey and making good on his promise to keep her friends unharmed, Kylo had been a disappointment to his master. It was perfectly possible that he could have just taken Rey, and obliterated the Resistance camp. Sith were not bound by laws or promises. 

 

But Kylo convinced himself that Rey would be too broken if he killed her friends. But maybe, he hadn’t wanted to kill his mother. Why? Was he weak? He had killed his own father; what was stopping him from killing his other parent?

 

“I know the power that you have, Kylo. When you next see your mother, do not hesitate to kill her. With her gone, you shall have complete power.”

 

Complete power. His ultimate goal. But with Rey by his side, he had already accomplished his mission. She was safe, and she was his. Did he really want to gain power he didn’t need?

 

“Remember your grandfather, Kylo Ren, and dismiss all of your puny and wimpy thoughts. You are strong enough, and nothing will stand in your way.”

 

Stand in the way of what? Hearing his thought, Snoke sighed, exasperated. 

 

“Your mission of conquering the entire universe, my padawan. The First Order shall be the ruler of the entire known world, and you shall lead.”

 

Ahhh, that was right. He would be king, and Rey would be his queen. Everlasting power, neverending love. 

 

“Now that you’ve gotten your priorities in order, you may leave. I have no further use for you.” Waving his hand, Kylo was dismissed by his master. Walking at a fast pace, he was eager to get back to Rey. 

 

A few rights, then some lefts, and a few more steps. Finally, he was at his chambers. Hastily scanning his fingerprints and facial features, he was admitted into his room. But Rey was not on the bed. Nor the couch. Nor the chairs.

 

Where was she? Had she escaped?

 

Angered, Kylo pulled out his lightsaber and scowled. Again? Even after all he had done for her, she still wanted to leave? She wouldn’t get far, though. Their bond wouldn’t allow her to stray far from his side. 

 

That’s right! The bond! Cursing his foolishness, he extended his mind into the Force, searching the universe for his love. 

 

But before he could pin her Force signature, the door from the bathroom opened. Out came Rey, dressed in a casual shirt of his and regular black leggings. Humming a lullaby, she made her way over to the wardrobe, not realizing Kylo’s presence. 

 

Her shirt was dangerously low, and he got a peak of her cleavage. Once again, the lust rose, unquenchable inside of him at the sight of a wet and near-bare Rey standing in his private chambers. 

 

Halfway to the wardrobe, Rey shrieked with terror after finally getting a glimpse of Kylo. Near-feral, breathing heavily with anger, and eyes filled with lust.

  
  


“Oh my Forces! Kylo, what’s wrong?” Rey attempted to cover herself with the bed covers, gazing at his lightsaber with fear. Happy that she had not managed to escape his grasps, he deactivated his lightsaber. 

 

“Nothing,” said Kylo, and coughed to hide his relief. “Nothing at all.” He walked over to Rey, and grabbed another towel to begin drying her hair. “What do you want, your normal buns?” Kylo ran his hands through Rey’s silky hair, ready to do as she wished. 

 

“Actually, do you still remember how to braid?”

 

“I do, surprisingly. Just a simple one?” Rey nodded, and Kylo began doing her hair. Not a few days ago, she had tried to kill him. Now, here he was, doing her hair and acting like a five-year-old. What had this love done to him?

 

Finally finishing, he tied her hair with a tie. Kissing her forehead, he inhaled the sweet aroma of her shampoo and body washes. Good, but it didn’t smell better than her regular scent. 

 

“Alright, let’s go to sleep.” He removed his helmet and his cloak, hurriedly getting ready for rest. He looked tired, but the real reason he wanted to sleep was so that he could snuggle up to Rey. 

 

Rey glanced towards the couch, but before she could move, Kylo grabbed her wrist. “No,” he said. “Stay here.” Seeing Rey’s apprehensive look, he rushed to make her stay with him. “Don’t worry, I promise not to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

 

Seemingly convinced, Rey settled into his bed. Was it because of him, or were the sheets what made her stay in his bed? Not having time to contemplate, he instead settled into the bed, letting out a sigh of fatigue. 

 

He turned off the lights with a lazy use of the Force. In still darkness, all that remained were the still breaths of Kylo and Rey. 

 

A hand touched his chest, and Kylo immediately grabbed the rest of Rey’s body and pulled her close until her head touched his chest. With each breath of his, Rey would also breath, their lungs rising and emptying in sync. 

 

Both were satisfied; Rey’s loneliness was gone and Ben’s hunger for her touch was finally quenched.

 

Falling into a deep sleep, Ben and Rey were at peace. 

  
Tonight, there would be no nightmares. In their place would be happy memories of the past, and perhaps a happy glimpse into the future. 


	31. Chapter 31

_ She was laughing, young and beautifully innocent. Ben was by her side, chuckling along with her.  _

 

_ Waves crashed in the back, adding a beautiful song to the image of Rey and Ben. Birds sang, and the green grass waved in the breeze.  _

 

\----------------------

 

Rey opened her eyes, the dream still lingering upon her mind and smiling lips. The loneliness that she had felt on Jakku never came back to her. No more tears, no more longing for a family. She had it all back now; every precious memory. 

 

Kylo was still asleep, his face peaceful and more casual that Rey had ever witnessed. His lips were not curved downward in a harsh sneer, but rather slightly opened as he breathed evenly in sleep. Everything about him now seemed younger, almost like Ben Solo. 

 

With every powerful breath of his, Rey’s head rose on his chest. It was simple rhythm, yet it was so calming and comforting. 

 

First arriving as a prisoner of the First Order, Rey had been expecting torture and death. But no, instead, Kylo had treated her with kindness and patience. She had showered, she had gotten a new change of clothes. 

 

And here she was now, comfortable and warm in a bed, protected by the man whom she always looked up to, her guardian angel since her days at the academy. 

 

So, she gladly raised her head and gave Kylo a sweet kiss on his forehead. Just like the one she had given him on Starkiller base. 

 

Groaning, Kylo shifted his body, responding to her kiss by pulling her closer to him. 

 

“That’s a nice way to wake me up, Rey.”

 

Then, Kylo brought his own head down to meet hers, and she knew exactly what and where his lips were aiming for. 

 

And surprisingly, she let him. 

 

His lips were warm, so hot against her own. But they fit perfectly with hers, a match made in heaven. 

 

It was innocent at first, just innocent smooching that even Rey knew how to do. Then, Kylo explored deeper, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Rey gasped at the sensation, something she had never experienced before. 

 

Skillfully and passionately, Kylo gave his beloved pleasure, pleasure that she had been deprived of for so long. He unleashed his lust, all his desire, and all of the longing that had been pent up inside of him. 

 

Rey moaned, enjoying her first kiss. She lost herself in the passion, eagerly kissing Kylo back with eagerness triumphing over her inexperience. Needing more, she grabbed the sides of his head, bring him closer. 

 

Kylo’s hands moved down to her waist, tugging her closer to his body. Soon, Kylo and Rey were rolling around in the sheets, groaning and gasping with lust and pleasure. Their tongues and mouths engaged in a battle of desire, their teeth banging against their now chapped lips. 

 

It was so wrong to be kissing her enemy! The man who killed his own father!

 

But it felt so good, it felt so right and so utterly amazing. Such pleasure, such passion, such beautiful lust raged through Rey, coursing through her body. More, she needed more!

 

But the hot, steamy session was rudely interrupted. 

 

“My Lord,” the intercom near the door buzzed. “General Hux requires your presence, as soon as possible.” The static and crackling mechanical voice interrupted Kylo and Rey, and both paused. When the voice died, the room was launched into an awkward silence.

 

Both Kylo and Rey breathed heavily, still trying to calm their hearts after their frantic animal-like passion fest. 

 

It was awkward. Very awkward. Unsure what to do, Rey averted her gaze from Kylo’s and instead focused her eyes onto the bed. 

 

So, that was what a kiss was. Rey had no idea how passionate and pleasurable it could be. She had heard stories, from giggling girls that caused her to roll her eyes way back into her head. 

 

But the pleasure was not to be denied. So sensual, so  _ sexual _ . She wanted more, more of those delicious kisses. 

 

Oh Forces, what was happening to her?

 

Kylo shifted off of the bed, alerting Rey once more to his presence. Pulling on his robes and stepping into his boots, he motioned for Rey to also get dressed. 

 

Sliding out of Kylo’s shirt, Rey quickly changed into her own robes, trying her hardest not to give Kylo a peek of what she had. it might not be a lot, but even she had curves to call her own. 

 

“Let’s head out to meet General Hux.”

 

Huh. Rey must finally be important enough to meet the elite members of the First Orders. More trust meant more opportunities to escape. So, she hurried eagerly out of Kylo’s chambers, following his confident footsteps. 

 

“Oh, and this time,” Kylo spoke, looking down at Rey with a smile while she walked alongside him. “Try not to break his nose.”   
  


Grinning, Rey laughed at Kylo’s joke. 

 

She could try; but she didn’t make promises. 

 

\----------------------------

 

Stomping into the control center, Kylo was not excited to gaze upon Hux’s sneering face. Today, he was not in the mood for Hux’s subtle insults and superior scoffs. Rather, he wanted nothing more than to hop back into bed with Rey and kiss her once again. 

 

Finally.  _ Finally _ , he had touched her. All the lust that had taken place in him since she arrived was now gone, sated by their passionate kiss. But he still wanted more. 

 

Then, Kylo felt the probe again. His old master, the weak Skywalker, had been attempting for many days to contact Rey, but Kylo set up barriers. If Luke did get through to Rey, he would know. 

 

When he walked into the control room and took in Hux’s bruised and battered face, he positively smiled with glee. Oh, that face was something he could get used to seeing. The sneer was still there, but as Hux’s eyes settled on Rey, the sneer faded. 

 

Kylo thought he glimpsed some fear in his eyes. Good. It seemed that Rey was the one who was able to finally punch the sneer right off of the lieutenant’s face. 

 

“Good morning, Hux.” Kylo couldn’t keep the tint of glee out of his voice, something that Hux did not miss. 

 

“Good morning to you too, Kylo,” sneered Hux, his words jumbled as a result of the loss of the teeth. The medical droids had filled his gums with metal teeth, but they would never be as good as his real ones. “Why is the girl here?” Hux turned to glare at Rey apprehensively, looking at her with disgust. 

 

There! Kylo felt the probe into his mind once again, and he mentally flinched. Annoyed, he cursed himself for not killing his old master when he had the chance

 

“Lady Rey is here today to become familiarized with the daily duties of the First Order.” Kylo emphasized Rey’s title, making sure that Hux knew his place. 

 

“Surely you won’t allow this  _ scavenger _ to retain top-secret information?” Hux spat out the word scavenger with as much hatred as his ruined mouth could muster. 

 

“Must I remind you, Hux, that this ‘scavenger’ is above you in rank?”

 

Silenced, all Hux could do was glare at Rey. Kylo knew how much Hux hated being inferior. Kylo and Rey, Force-users, imbued in him hate and jealously, something that leader Snoke greatly admired. 

 

“What’s on the agenda today, lieutenant?” Kylo asked. Scowling, Hux responded. 

 

“We’re looking over the planet Loothaman 10. Apparently there are some rebels located on the planet, who are hell-bent on destroying our base there.”

 

Loothaman 10? Another planet Kylo had never heard of. Another planet to be destroyed. 

 

_ Wait, Kylo, you’re not really going to destroy an entire planet, are you? _

 

Oh, that’s right. Kylo had completely forgotten about Rey’s sense of compassion. He had to teach her how things went about in the First Order. 

 

_ We gave them warning, and told them to stop fighting.  _

 

_ That doesn’t give you an excuse to kill all of them! What about the children, the mothers? _

 

At this time, Rey was looking pleadingly into Kylo’s eyes, and Hux knew exactly what was going on. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the control board to allow his leaders to talk in private. Not that they were already. 

 

_ Kylo, don’t kill them. Please! We can figure out a way! _

 

Groaning in exasperation, Kylo knew that he couldn’t destroy Loothaman 10. Rey would stay angry at him for days, and nag him to death about it. 

 

“Fine.” It was the first word spoken in a long time, and Hux spun around, happy that the silent conversation was over. Truth be told, he was tired of being left out of those talks. Were they talking about him? 

 

Nope. In reality, Kylo was fending off yet another mental attack from Luke Skywalker. On the outside, he managed to maintain a normal expression. 

 

“Hux, prepare a ship and troops for us. Lady Rey and I will be traveling to squash the rebellion.”

 

Spitting in rage, Hux couldn’t believe where the conversation was going. “Wait, why are you going? I thought we already arranged to destroy the planet!”

 

Kylo extended his arm, and Hux flinched, preparing himself for the Force blow. But instead of hitting him, Kylo was pointing to the window in the control room, which overlooked the starship hangar. 

 

“Get me one of the ships, pronto. We’ll arrive first at the planet, and reinforcements later.” 

 

Hux knew arguing was pointless. After all, if Kylo didn’t get what he wanted, an entire room could be destroyed in his tantrum. 

 

_ See?  _ said Rey to Kylo, knowing that they both heard Hux’s thoughts.  _ Everyone agrees that you have a bad tantrum.  _

 

Rolling his eyes, Kylo ignored her, and rather waited for Hux to prepare the ship. 

 

Walking over to the control board, Hux quickly punched in several codes and pressed down several buttons. Turning back to view the commanding pair, he said “Starship #23 is ready for launch.”

 

“Good.” Without a goodbye, Kylo turned around and started to leave the room. Rey, however, stood back. 

 

Rey gave Hux a once-over, smirking at all of his scars and wounds. Hux knew exactly where and what she was looking at, and scowled, angry that he was not in a position to slap her again. 

 

“Rey, we’re leaving now.”

 

Smirking, she looked at Hux once more. “Never forget the cause of those wounds, okay?” Not bothering to gage Hux’s reaction, she fled from the room, bumping into Kylo in the hallway. 

 

He raised his eyebrow, chuckling at Rey’s recent actions. “A bit overkill, don’t you think?” 

 

Shrugging, Rey smiled back. “He deserved it.”

 

“Can’t say I disagree. Let’s get going; we’ve got a rebellion to crush.”

 

Rey followed Kylo’s quick pace down the hallway. Well, at least it wasn’t the Resistance they had to crush. 

 

How were her friends, anyway? Hopefully, close to rescuing her. 

 

While Kylo peeked into her thoughts, his defenses came down for a second. Just a split second, a small window of opportunity. 

 

But that window was big enough for Luke Skywalker to slip in unnoticed, by both Kylo and Rey. 

 

\----------------------------

 

“Goddamn it!” Poe slammed his hand on the hologram map, frustrated. “We’re not anywhere closer to finding Rey than we were two weeks ago!” Burying his face in his hands, he sighed with fatigue and anger. 

 

Strong hand clapped his back, and he grasped them for support. “You get any progress on your own map, buddy?”

 

“Nope.” said Finn, just as angry and tired as Finn was. The entire command squadron had been searching tirelessly for Rey, knowing that her power in the hands of Kylo Ren could prove to be their downfall. 

 

“Come on, Poe.” Finn tugged at Poe, dragging him to the exit. “Let’s go see if Leia and Luke made any progress.”

 

They walked down the hallways together, wandering the rooms until they bumped into their general and her brother. 

 

Luke Skywalker was meditating, sitting in his classical teacher pose. Leia, on the other hand, was gazing out the window, her eyes eagerly scanning the sky. Finn and Poe both knew that the Force was involved in the twin’s unique ways of searching for Rey. 

 

Luke’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his face both alarmed and relieved. Although he made no sound to alert his sudden realization, Leia also spun around to face her twin, her face full of suprise. 

 

“You found Ben?”

 

“Not just Ben,” said Luke. “Rey also. Kylo’s taken it upon himself to become Rey’s new master.”

 

Gulping, Finn worried for his friend. Could she survive under Kylo’s cruel finger. “Is she being treated well, at least?”

 

For some reason, Luke awkwardly shifted in his position, his face both embarrassed and nervous. “You could say she’s becoming quite… comfortable.”

 

Uh oh. Poe thought he knew what that meant. “Well, do you know their positions?”

 

Nodding, Luke stood up, brushing nonexistent dust off of his Jedi robes. “They’re heading out to squash a rebellion on a planet known as Loothaman 10.”

 

Leia and Poe, at the same time, shouted excitedly. “That’s the planet that we lost to the First Order not too long ago! We’ve heard rumours of a rebellion there!” Poe was practically ecstatic, and rushed back to the control room, running in a hurry to pull up a map. 

 

He entered the space quadrant, the galaxy, the solar system, then, finally! A big hologram of Loothaman 10 appeared on the screen, and Poe stepped back to gaze at the reward of many countless hours of searching. 

 

“Finally. A lead.” Poe exhaled a relieved breath, feeling happy but also tired. Officers and leading lieutenants gathered round the panel, gazing at the hologram. 

 

Well, it was time they got their little Rey back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more kudos+more comments= more motivation
> 
> AND
> 
> more motivation=faster updates!


	32. Chapter 32

Twitching with excitement, Rey swiveled in the co-pilot’s seat. In just a few minutes, she would be on solid land again! Oh, she had been so glad to finally leave the dreary First Order starship. 

“Are we almost there yet?” said Rey for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

Rolling his eyes, Kylo chuckled at his partner’s enthusiasm. Truth be told, he was quite happy to leave the First Order starship. “Surprisingly, yes. Just a few more minutes.” As he said those words, he pressed a few buttons on the control board. 

Slowly, the planet of Loothaman 10 came into view. Rey leaned out of her seat, looking at the planet in awe. 

It was not all covered in blue, like Ach-to. Neither was it the harsh yellow of Jakku or the green that she had seen on Takodana. Rather, this planet was a combination. Large masses of green and yellow were dotted across the planet, while a deep blue covered the rest. 

The starship dropped closer to the surface of the planet, and a landing pad became clear. Slowly and gently, Kylo lowered the plane onto the surface of Loothaman 10. 

A few more buttons were pressed, shutting down the engine and other mechanics. Finally, painfully slow, the door to the starship opened. Rey practically tried to run out, but Kylo grabbed onto her waist and held her back. 

 

“Remember,” he whispered in her ear, sending thrills down her spine, “we have to keep up appearances.” Oh, right. She was Lady Rey now. 

When the door did open, Rey was not greeted by green plants and blue skies. Rather, there was a row of Knights, each unmoving in his black cloak and helmet. There were no happy birds chirping, just eerie silence. 

One man stood without his helmet, gazing expectantly at Kylo and Rey. 

“Greetings my Lord and Lady.” He bowed low to the ground, and all the other knights followed his example. “Allow me to show you to your housings.” The knight turned around, and made his way to a nearby building. Kylo and Rey followed suit. 

This building reminded her of the First Order. Still dark and dreary, with seemingly the exact same hallway designs. 

“Here are you chambers. I shall excuse myself, but you can call for me if any need arises.” Bowing once more, the knight turned around and left the hallway, leaving Kylo and Rey alone outside a door. 

“Well, let’s take a look at our quarters.” Opening the door, Kylo allowed his lady to enter first before going in himself. 

Hmm. Not bad. A little more shabby than Kylo’s quarters on the First Order starship base, but that was to be expected. There were the necessary furnishings; like a bed and several wardrobes. Another door led to what she assumed would be the bathroom. 

But the best part was the window. The scene outside was similar to the view she had during her time with the Resistance; greenery and animals galore. Practically squealing with glee, she ran and leaned against the window. 

Oh, she longed to be as free as the bird outside, spreading their wings across the sky and allowed to go wherever they desired. Instead, she was a bird in a cage, silent and unmoving. 

Kylo’s arms wrapped around her waist, and he started to snuggle into her from behind. His hands were possessive, gripping her tightly. 

“You’re my little bird,” he said, and he began to kiss her neck. Rey just continued to glance outside, wishing herself into the birds’ place. “But you need your cage.”

Confused, Rey turned her head to gaze into Kylo’s eyes. “Without it,” he said, “you would fly far away from me. We can’t have that happening, now, can we?”

Urgently, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her face close to hers. “Promise me, Rey, that you’ll never leave.” His eyes were urgent, burning like fire. 

Through their bond, she could feel all of his emotions. She knew that, if she did leave, Kylo would be lost forever to the dark. “I want to stay with you, Kylo, I really do.” What Rey didn’t mention was her hope that the Resistance would be able to recapture them both. Technically, she would be by his side still. 

Satisfied, Kylo closed his eyes, a gentle smile on his face. He continued to hug her, rocking both of their bodies in a swaying motion. 

The door suddenly slid open, startling Rey. Embarrassed by who it might be, she attempted to free herself from Kylo’s grasp. Unintimidated, Kylo held her tighter and didn’t bother to turn around. 

It was just a server droid, bringing their dinner and setting it on the table. Letting out a sigh of relief, Rey instead turned to face Kylo. “Don’t get too personal in public. What if someone see us?”

“Good for us, then. Everyone has to know that you’re mine.”

Rolling her eyes at Kylo’s possessiveness, Rey pried his hands from her waist and made her way to the food. 

Mmmm. Smelled delicious! Lifting the platter off of the plate, Rey was hit with a huge wave of steam. Coughing, she waved it away with her hand, and hurried to see what was on the plate. 

Meat. Endless bounties of beautiful meat. On the side were neatly arranged vegetables, and a few beautifully cooked loaves of bread. 

She had never seen such beautiful food in her life. And it was just sitting there, waiting to be eaten. Sure, she had eaten multiple times already as a prisoner of the First Order, but no meals as delicious-looking as this. 

Kylo, whom she had been ignoring in favor of the food, took a seat on a plush chair next to the table. 

He slowly took Rey’s hand, and guided her to sit on his knee. Rey didn’t fight, didn’t even notice, as she was too busy staring at the food. 

“Here,” said Kylo, picking up a fork and scooping up a morsel of meat. “Close your mouth.”

Her mind heavily influenced by the smell of fresh meat, Rey did as he said. 

“Now open your mouth.” Rey did as he bid, opening her mouth wide. 

Slowly, the fork slid in, and Rey wrapped her lips around the morsel and slowly chewed it. Heaven. It was so tasteful, so rich and so tender. She groaned while eating, savoring the wonderful flavor before finally swallowing.

It was amazing, really, how full of flavor it was. Nothing like the rations on Jakku, or even the meals at the Resistance. Oh, she might gladly join the Dark Side if they cooked food like this everyday. 

Something else hit her lips, and she opened her mouth, expecting food. 

But it was not food that found its way into her mouth. Rather, it was Kylo’s tongue. Startling, but welcome nonetheless. 

It started as a chaste kiss, slow but still full of love. Sloppy and wet sounds filled the room. 

She could feel it all. Kylo’s desire, her own passion. It felt like they were one; one body and one mind.

She didn’t know who broke the kiss first. Either way, their lips separated, but their foreheads still touched.

It wasn’t sexual, or uncomfortable. Rather, it was like an innocent lover’s embrace on a warm summer day. Pleasurable, but not too lustful or passionate. 

Content, she closed her eyes, still leaning her head against Kylo’s forehead. She could hear his heavy breathing, and could practically feel his eyes burning a hole in her own forehead. 

The door opened again, and Rey shrieked with surprise, bumping her head against Kylo’s. Oh, she hoped it was the service droid again. But no such luck. 

“Sorry for the intrusion, my Lords. How is the dinner going?” No doubt a Knight of Ren, who was certainly surprised by his Lord’s intimacy with his Lady. Kylo Ren? A loving husband?

“It’s fine. What is the problem?” Kylo, unlike Rey, remained unaffected by the intrusion, unmoving from his stance on the chair and hugging a very embarrassed and red-faced Rey to his chest. Leaning down to kiss her, he made it nice and sloppily wet, loud enough for the Knight to hear. 

Clearing his throat, the Knight stuttered, fighting to find words. “Sorr- sorry, sir. Please excuse my interruption. In 30 minutes, we will hold a meeting in the control room concerning the actions of the rebels.” Rey could feel his embarrassment, flooding the room in hot waves.

“You are excused.” With no thank you or goodbye message, Kylo dismissed the knight. The door closed, and the knight’s footsteps quickly walked down the hallway. No doubt he was going to relay what he had witnessed back to the other knights. Kylo Ren kissing a woman gently? Kylo Ren, the unfeeling monster, showing love? Unthinkable. 

“You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.” said Kylo, causing Rey to blush even more. He grabbed a plate from the coffee table, and handed it to Rey. 

“Eat up. You’ll need your strength.”

Rey happily obliged his request, stuffing as much food as she could into her mouth with her fork. So delicious. 

\-----------------------------

Luke stood in the Resistance’s pathetic excuse for a library, his frown deepening into a scowl. 

Seriously? These were all the books that the Resistance had? A few meagle recipe books and a couple photo albums. Ugh. At his old academy, there had been more books that one could ever read in a lifetime. 

Nothing. There was no information at all on Force bonds, and he remembered nothing of them from his own memory. But what about someone else’s memory. 

Sighing, he sat down, and closed his eyes to begin meditating. He knew he would come. All he had to do was wait. 

An hour passed. Then another. People came and went, but no loud sounds disturbed him. 

Finally, he felt the presence. Opening his eyes, he delighted to take in the form of his old master. 

“Oh, thank the Forces you came!”

Obi-Wan Kenobi scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward. “Yeah, sorry. Anakin was just being a whiny baby like usual. Something about sand?”

It hadn’t taken long for Luke to realize that Force ghosts still were the same annoying people in real life. 

“Do you remember anything about Force bonds?”

 

Obi-Wan’s face lighted up with excitement. “Oh, yes! I do remember! Mostly stuff about the Force, combined powers, rituals,” he waved his hand, casually dismissing the conversation. 

“Is there any way to break one?”

“No, you can only prevent it temporarily. Why do you ask?” Confused, Obi-Wan waited for an explanation for his calling. 

“Kylo Ren has bonded himself with Rey, I’m afraid. I need to find a way to break this bond between them.”

Immediately, Obi-Wan’s face contorted with anger. “That son of a bitch! Not my perfect granddaughter!” Shaking his head angrily, he exhaled a tired sigh. “I swear to the Forces, it’s always the Skywalker family screwing up things.” 

Luke gulped nervously, knowing Obi-Wan’s frustration for his family on a first-hand basis. True, his grandfather, his sister and himself had caused some pretty big disturbances in the universe. 

“Well, I got to go yell at Anakin for having such an annoying grandson. But before I go, here.” Immediately, knowledge flew from Obi-Wan’s mind to Luke’s, knowledge of how to delay the Force bond.

“Thanks, master.” 

“See you later, Luke.” Nodding in farewell, Obi-Wan slowly faded away, until Luke was left staring at the space where he had been. 

Walking quickly out of the library, he made his way to his sister. 

“Leia!” He shouted, banging open the door to the control room. “I know how to do it now.” 

“Good,” said his sister, not even bothering to turn around. “I knew you’d figure it out.” 

Ugh. After so many years, she still never complimented him. 

“Kylo and Rey just landed, but we can’t attack yet. The base they’re at is too strongly fortified. We’ll have to wait until they’re separated,” said Leia. 

“So, can I go eat?”

“Yes, you can. Go ahead and take a nap too, while you’re at it. Oh, then, you can hit the spa!” Her voice laced with sarcasm, Leia angrily turned around to face her brother. “We have food here, but we’ll need your help in organizing the battle groups. We may have time, but we still have to plan.”

Unsure what to do, he shuffled awkwardly on the floor. Oh, he much rather preferred the solitude of Ach-To than his sister’s new regime of fighters and soldiers. 

“Go find Poe. He’ll describe the layout of the flight plan to you.”

Poe? Who? Looking at a nearby lieutenant, he quickly scanned his mind. An image of a handsome man, smiling, drifted into his own head, and he happily set off to find Poe. He walked out the door, turning to the right. 

“Go to the left, Luke!” Leia’s voice rang loud and clear. 

Oops. Smiling, Luke reversed his direction. When his sister wasn’t being annoying, she really was a great lifesaver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOH MORE SUSPENSE


	33. Chapter 33

Spinning around in her chair, Rey pouted. Listening to these knights drone on and on about tactics, security, and other things that made Rey positively dead with boredom. 

 

But this was a good time to plot escape plans. Through the back door, maybe? No, the knights would catch her before she could find her way to a plane. She needed a distraction. But she didn’t have any smoke bombs, sound effects, or any other useful items. 

 

Eventually though, her spinning became too annoying for Kylo. Grabbing her shoulders, he stopped her in the middle of her spin. 

 

All the knights ceased their conversation, holding their breath at their leader’s anger. Some even shot glances towards the exit, trying to gauge how long it would take to flee. The moment that lightsaber turned on, it was a free-for-all.

 

But instead of throwing a tantrum, instead of destroying everything in sight, Kylo scooped Rey up like a light feather and plopped her onto his lap. 

 

Surprised, the knights looked at each other, questioning their leader’s sudden gentleness. Usually, by now, the control room would be destroyed. 

 

“Continue.” Kylo’s voice rang through the quiet room, loud but not quite angry.

 

_ Did you really think I would let you escape? _

 

Rolling her eyes, Rey quieted herself and sat obediently on Kylo’s lap, resisting her strong urge to kick him. 

 

“So, with everything in order, Lord Kylo and Lady Rey will lead the first battalion, and this troop of knights will follow behind.” The knight leading the presentation wrapped up, looking expectantly at Kylo for his thoughts.

 

“Change of plan. Lady Rey will not be going in with me.”

 

At Kylo’s voice, Rey inwardly cursed him. Damn! He had just ruined all her escape plans! The chaos and confusion of battle would’ve been the perfect way for her to just happen to flit away. 

 

“Wait, where will I be, then?” Rey actually really did want to know her position. 

 

“You’ll stay here, guarded by knights. For your safety.” 

 

Huh. For her safety. Sure. 

 

_ If you even try to break down a door, I will know.  _

 

_ I don’t doubt you, Kylo.  _ No doubt he would be stalking her every move while he was out fighting. 

 

“Alright. Move out.” Kylo arose, lightly setting Rey on the floor. The knights followed his example, strapping their weapons to their sides. 

 

Kylo motioned with his fingers, a slight flick. Three knights stepped out of the shadows, and took their place by his side. “Bring Lady Rey back to her chambers.” 

 

Nodding, the knights instead walked to Rey’s side. 

 

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” Kylo rubbed Rey’s shoulders comfortingly, and kissed her on the forehead. 

 

Ugh. It was moments like these that made her regret trying to escape. Why did Kylo have to be so gentle and so loving? It would have been better if he was the monster and cruel man she remembered. 

 

Kylo departed the room, hesitating only once to glance at Rey once more. His footsteps them resumed, and she could hear him and the knights making their way to battle. Now, it was just her and the three other knights. 

 

“Well, shall we set off?” Clasping her hands behind her back innocently, Rey looked up at the faces of all her knights. Stern and serious, they made sure not to make eye contact with her. 

 

“Yes, my lady.” One of the knights led the way, while the other two stayed by her sides. They walked the halls quietly. 

 

Waiting for the best opportunity, Rey held her breath.

 

Finally, the knight in the lead rounded the corner, and Rey took her opportunity. Kneeing the knight on her right in the gut, she felt satisfied as he fell to the floor. Almost immediately, the knight on her left made a grab for her. 

 

Not fast enough. Kicking him in the groin, Rey watched the knight also go down. She flinched, knowing how much it would hurt. Perfect! Sprinting down the hallway, she felt her breath quicken, with excitement and anticipation of escape. 

 

Then, the pain hit. 

 

_ Rey! What have you done? _

 

She could feel Kylo’s anger rolling in her own head, sharp and stabbing like a knife. She stumbled while running, slow enough to give her last opponent an opportunity. 

 

The last knight, the one who had rounded the corner, grabbed her from behind, around her waist. She screamed aloud, flailing and kicking her legs. 

 

“No! NO! I demand you put me down!” 

 

But her screams were unawarded. The knight swiftly carried her back to Kylo’s chambers, before pushing her inside and locking the door. 

 

“We apologize for our harshness, lady.” She could hear the knights wheezing, trying to catch their breaths after being kicked and punched by her. 

 

Wow. Even after she had tried to escape, they were the ones apologizing. 

 

She banged on the door, frustrated at how close she had been to escaping. “Let me out, damn it!” The knights remained silent outside her door. 

 

“Let me out, please?” She asked nicely, putting in some Force persuasion. Still, silence was her only response. 

 

Sighing in frustration, she launched herself onto the bed, shrieking and punching the soft pillows. 

 

“Arrggh!” Annoyed, she rolled over onto her back, and smashed a pillow to her face. 

 

So close! If Kylo hadn’t realized her tactics, she would no doubt be on a starship now, rushing off to meet her friends once again. 

 

_ See, Rey? You can never escape me.  _

 

Kylo’s smugness nearly drowned her, and she scowled. She could tell he was in battle now. Closing her eyes, she enveloped herself into his mind. Kylo surprisingly let her in, almost wanting her to see what he saw. 

 

_ She was standing in the midst of a battle, her lightsaber pulsing a bright red. People were screaming, chaos and death thick in the air.  _

 

_ One swipe of his lightsaber, and a rebel went down. Another stroke, another head severed from a body. Blood was everywhere, his arms nearly soaked with the viscous liquid.  _

 

_ “Sir!” a nearby shout from one of the knights made her spin her head around. “We’ve got incoming ships, which are not ours!”  _

 

_ Her gaze travelled up to the sky, and she felt herself reach out with the force. Scanning, searching, and… _

 

_ Panic seized her chest when she found out who was coming. No. No! He couldn’t be coming! _

 

_ She turned around, running back to the base. His knights followed, obediently staying with their leader. _

 

Abruptly, the connection ceased, and Rey opened her eyes, snapping back to reality, finding herself once again in the smooth sheets of the bed. She looked down at her arms, half expecting to find herself covered in blood. 

 

They were smooth, and pale like they always had been. But she could almost feel the death still lingering in the air. 

 

But that wasn’t important. Someone was coming, someone that Kylo both feared and hated. But who?

 

In the midst of her confusion, an explosion shocked the room. The room rattled and shook, and Rey promptly fell onto the floor. 

 

Groaning in pain, she rubbed her hip. She was so going to be sore. 

 

Another explosion hit the base, and she could hear alarms ringing. The door to her room opened, and the knights immediately ran to her before picking her up. 

 

But before she could stand, another explosion rocked the room. Only this time, footsteps could be heard, feet running through the hallways.

 

The knights all activated their lightsabers, which hummed with noise and illuminated the room with different colors. Only problem was, their lady didn’t want to be protected. 

 

Rey took her chance, sprinting past the knights and their lightsabers, rushing out of the ruined doorway. 

 

Smoke was everywhere, clouding her vision and making her cough. The blaring sounds of the alarms only managed to make her feel insecure, wild, and feral. 

 

Out of the smoke, she could pick out a figure or two. They were slowly making their way towards her, silent but deadly nonetheless. 

 

Holding her breath, she feared for her life. What if it was someone hostile to her? Or worse yet, an angry Kylo Ren?

 

But she needn’t not worry. Instead, the calm and serene face of her master greeted her. 

 

“Master!” Happy to finally see him again, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Returning the favor, Luke chuckled. 

 

“It’s good to see you once again, too, Rey.” He stopped the hug, holding her at an arm’s length so she could see his comforting smile. “You are unharmed?”

 

Rey nodded. She then noticed the people besides her master. 

 

“General! Poe!” Both of them smiled back at her enthusiastic tone, happy to see her once more. 

 

“Good to you see, Rey,” said the general. “Let’s escape first, hug later.” 

 

The words struck a chord in Rey’s heart, reminding her of the man that had once been. So similar, even the same tone and sarcasm. 

 

The trio turned to leave, but before they could, lightsabers hummed in the darkness. 

 

Oh, right. She had completely forgotten about the knights. 

 

“Don’t worry. I got this.” Luke ignited his own, ready to face the knights. “Here.” He tossed another lightsaber to her, one that was unfamiliar but would work nonetheless. 

 

For the first time since she had been captured, Rey felt like herself. She loved the feel of slashing, of striking with a lightsaber. But this lightsaber felt wrong, felt too heavy in her hands. 

 

“Eh. We don’t have time for this.” Annoyed, Luke waved his hand, and Rey felt dizzy at the sudden change in the Force. Apparently, so did the knights, who fainted onto the floor, unconscious. 

 

“Woah,” said Rey, nudging the unmoving knights with her boot. “You have got to teach me that trick sometime.” She recognized the trick, having been under its influence so many times. 

 

“I will, after we leave.” Luke kept his lightsaber activated, and started to trot down the hallway. Leia and Poe were just ahead, waving their arms urgently, signaling and pointing to the exit. 

 

Stepping out of a burning hole in the building, Rey was greeted with the scent of fresh air. 

 

All around her, the First Order base was in complete disarray. There was fire, smoke, and craters created by explosives. So much damage, but not much death.

 

The Millennium Falcon was waiting in the courtyard, its door open and inviting. Running onto the ramp, Rey followed her rescuers onto the ship that so felt like home. 

 

Luke already sat in the pilot seat, manning the control board and pressing all the necessary buttons. Rey sat herself down into the co-pilot’s seat. 

 

Finally, they were off! The Falcon rushed into the air, and Rey felt freedom run through her veins. 

 

“Are you guys the only ones?” 

 

“No, we’re not. Our own people are with the rebels, fighting to serve as a distraction,” said Leia.

 

Oh. People were out there, fighting and dying, just so she could be saved. Was she really that important?

 

She could see more starships leaving the surface of the planet, familiar Resistance ships and planes that were full of friends. 

 

The Falcon zoomed into space, Loothaman 10 growing fainter in the sky until it was no more. 

 

Was this it? Was she finally free?

 

Images of her stay with the First Order passed through her head. 

 

_ Kylo’s gentle touches, her dark robes whispering against her skin. The call of the dark, the passionate kisses. _

 

Kylo. Kylo Ren. She had left him behind, left their kisses and touches far behind her. But even now, as she remembered all their passionate embraces, she shivered with want. 

 

She had left him. She should feel happy, exhilarated. But a small part of her desperately wanted to back in his arms, wanted her hands to once again press against his hard chest. 

 

Luke switched the starship to autopilot, and turned to face Rey. “I know of your bond. I can temporarily delay it, so we have time to find a permanent solution.”

 

Her master reached out, laying both of his hands onto the sides of her head. She felt his energy flowing into her, making her feel strong and powerful. Mental walls shot up in her brain, she could see them. Strong, like steel, impenetrable.

 

\----------------------------

 

Kylo Ren walked, or ran, back to the First Order base, forgetting completely about the battle. 

 

He had heard the explosions, had felt Rey’s tumbles of emotions. But the most confusing part was that he couldn’t feel her anymore. It was like someone had dampened their bond; wrapping Rey in a safe cage where he couldn’t reach her. 

 

The base was in complete disarray, smoke spiraling upwards into the air from the ruined buildings. He crawled through a hole in the side of the residences, making his way through the ruined hallways. 

 

Smoke, hot and burning, stung his eyes and burned his throat. He walked onward, stepping over rubble, making his way quickly to his chambers. 

 

But when he peered through the door, Rey was not there. No sign of her, not even her cloak or her Force signature. 

 

Her three guards lay outside, unconscious on the floor. Alive, but unable to move. Similar to his own little trick. 

 

Wanting information, he intruded into the mind of the one closest to him. 

 

Images of Luke Skywalker ran through his own head, and the face of his mother swam through his brain. Rey flitted into the frame a moment before unconsciousness, walking to the side of his old master. 

 

So, that was it then. Rey was gone. 

 

Screaming to the heavens, Kylo Ren finally felt himself break.

 

He slashed and slashed with his lightsaber, destroying all in his sight. Anger, hate, rage, all blurring together until he lost all sense of who he was.

 

Gone was the gentle Ben Solo, gone were all his humanoid values. He reached out with the Force, searching until he could feel Rey. Such was his anger, he was powerful enough to break Luke Skywalker’s feeble mental defense on his traitorous beloved. 

  
_ You can’t escape me, Rey. I’ll find you again, even if it takes me another million years.  _


	34. Chapter 34

The last knight cowered at his feet, fear evident in his eyes. His two fallen comrades lay on the side, their corpses bloodied and bruised.

 

“I, I’m sorry, my Lord. Luke Skyw-”

 

“I don’t care, knight. You failed. End of story,” said Kylo. He brought his lightsaber down, ending the knight’s life with a swift stroke.

 

They had all failed. Every single one of them. Rey had escaped his clutches once again, after all his efforts to keep her safe. 

 

“Sir,” another knight walked hesitatingly into the room, quaking and paling at the sight of his fallen friends. “What should we do about the rebellion?” 

 

“Evacuate the planet. Then destroy it all.”

 

“Everyone, sir? Even the residents?” The knight was confused; were they seriously going to kill all the people?

 

“Yes. Do I have to leave you here for you to understand?”

 

Positively quaking in his boots, the knight bowed quickly. “Sorry, Sir. I’ll have the knights evacuate immediately,” he said, before running out of the room at the fastest pace imaginable. 

 

Rey’s face drifted into his mind; full of concern, full of anger at his decision to be responsible for million of deaths. 

 

But her light, her happiness, didn’t infect him anymore. She had made him weak; had made him blind to the power he could have. She was gone now, her influence over him no more. 

 

But why she want to leave him? He had shown her nothing but gentleness during her stay. He had showered her with love, easing her as carefully as possible into her new life. And this was how she repaid him? By leaving him?

 

It was one thing if she had been captured by the Resistance. But it was another thing altogether for her to leave willingly.

 

He had warned her of his wrath. And now, she would face it. 

 

Using the Force, he searched the universe, until he found her Force signature. She reeked of light, of happiness and goodness. So tempting, and so delicious. Trying to speak to her through their bond, he found himself facing a mental wall stronger than steel. 

 

What? What was this trick? Once again, he tried to stab into her mind, but found himself still unable to penetrate her mind. Force bonds were inseparable; unbreakable and permanent. Who did this?

 

Of course. Foolish old Luke Skywalker. Somehow, his old master had found a way to stop him from contacting Rey. No matter. He would find a way to worm into her mind.

 

After all, her darkness was not to be denied. 

 

\---------------------------

 

“Finn!” Rey ran into the awaiting arms of her dear friend, who returned the hug eagerly. 

 

Even while the starship landed, she could see the crowd amassing on the planet’s surface, eager to see the outcome of their countless hours of planning. But the one figure that she so wanted to see was her dear friend Finn. 

 

“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay Rey!” Finn stopped the hug, and held Rey at an arm’s length so he could assess her wellbeing.

 

It was then that Rey saw the rest of the Resistance, people whispering and muttering. 

 

She knew what it looked like. She was dressed in the black robes of the Sith, not to mention also Force bonded to the number one enemy of the Resistance. Their stares made her feel uncomfortable; judging and harsh. 

 

“Come on,” said Finn, seeing how uncomfortable she was. “Let’s go inside.” They headed towards the main building, which housed the control room. 

 

Once inside, she let out a relieved sigh. No more judging eyes. 

 

“BEEEEEEEP!”

 

Something ran into her leg, and she nearly fell with the force that it carried. Looking down, she saw a happy and excited BB-8.

 

“Hey, buddy!” Said Rey, leaning down to rub his antenna affectionately. BB-8 purred contentedly, happy to finally have her back. “Lead the way, sweetie.” She tapped BB-8’s side, and it immediately started rolling. 

 

She followed BB-8 down the hallways, until they reached the control room. Bracing herself for what was inside, she opened the door. 

 

All chatter and conversations stopped. Silence fell over her, heavy and disturbing. 

 

But it was the way that people were looking at her that got her the most uncomfortable. Some were outright glaring at her, no doubt cursing her for the deaths on Loothaman 10. Others beheld her black robes with awe, thinking her a Sith. 

 

“Don’t worry everyone,” said a kindly voice from behind her. “She can be trusted.” General Leia had placed her hands onto Rey’s shoulders, supportive and strong. With her advice, all the generals and lieutenants went back to their previous duties. The room returned to the state it had been in before she had walked in.

 

“Can you excuse me, General?” Rey asked, motioning down to her outfit. “I’m going to change into something more comfortable.”

 

“Of course, my dear. Go ahead. Your room is just the way we left it.” Leia patted her on the back, and Rey left the control room immediately. 

 

She walked down the hallways, getting openly stared at by a multitude of people. Her skin itched, the dark Sith robes seeming to burn her skin, crawling like the feet of a million ants. 

 

Finally making it into her room, she shut the door and quickly collapsed. She allowed the tears that had been cooped up in her eyes to pour out in hot rivers. 

 

This place wasn’t the same anymore. Where were the nice, supportive people that she had met not so long ago?

 

Or had she changed? This room, her room, felt wrong. Too tiny, like a cage. Gone was the home-y feeling, the sense of belonging and warmth. 

 

Her breath hiccupped, and emotions flew through her like the strongest tempest. Anger, sadness, hate, anxiety, and more than she could ever name.

 

His presence, like poison, slid into her mind. 

 

_ Oh, poor Rey. What’s wrong, little darling? _ His tone was teasing, almost as if he was gloating. 

 

Where were her walls? Her mental defenses? Struggling to pull herself together, she took a deep breath, quelling the storm of emotions inside of her. 

 

_ You can’t shut me out. I’m a part of you, Rey, the darkness within yourself. _

 

No, she would not become like Kylo Ren! Finally gaining a hold on her emotions, she took in a deep breath, and immediately shot up her metal walls again. 

 

There were no more taunting insults. No more whispering promises of power. But why did his presence still linger? He felt like poison, infecting her even when he wasn’t in her mind. 

 

“There is no emotion,” said Rey, covering her face with her hands and rocking her body on the floor. “There is only peace.”

 

She repeated the phrase to herself, once, twice, or maybe a million times. She didn’t know. She just kept on saying it until she believed the words. Once again, she felt at peace. 

 

But how could there be no emotion? Remembering every kiss, every touch of passion between her and Kylo, she blushed a dark shade of red. Shaking her head, she thrust the dangerous memories into the back of her head, where they could slowly poison her mind. 

 

She walked to the wardrobe, opening it to find several Resistance-standard outfits. While they were plain and simple, they were better than her current robes. She stripped fast, quickly removing the Sith robes from her body before sliding smoothly into pants and a classical beige shirt. 

 

The effect was immediate. Her skin stopped itching, the urge to scratch and itch gone. She sighed, feeling finally at rest. 

 

Properly dressed, she was ready for all the world could throw at her. She opened her door, peeking into the hallway to find it deserted. What now?

 

She snuck quietly into the control room, noticing how General Leia stood at the front, no doubt giving commands or a speech. 

 

“This planet is our new destination. Qurantis,” said the general. A giant holographic planet floated above a table, and all people present in the room craned their necks like giraffes to get a better view of their future home. 

 

“What about Loothaman 10?” asked a voice from the crowd. “Don’t we have to go help the rebels stationed there?” 

 

Leia let out a sad sigh, her next words sending a chill down Rey’s spine. “There is no more Loothaman 10. The planet has been destroyed, and the First Order has killed all of its residents.”

 

Destroyed? How? Kylo would never resort to that. He might be a monster with a cruel skin, but he still had a warm and beating heart inside. 

 

People were shocked, angry at the death of their friends. Some shot murderous glances towards her, blaming her for the death of their allies. 

 

All those people. Dead. Gone forever from this world. She clasped her mouth with her hand, quenching the sob that rose from her throat.

 

_ I killed them all, Rey. Don’t doubt my power.  _

 

Sensing Kylo’s words and presence, she quickly threw up her mental walls while cursing herself for letting herself be controlled by her emotions. But Kylo was already gone from her mind, making no attempts to speak to her once more. 

 

So that was it then. He really did kill them. Rey had to remind herself; the gentle Ben that she had gotten to know so well, that she had grown up with, was no more. Kylo Ren was still a monster, her number one enemy. And it was her duty, as the padawan of Luke Skywalker and a fighter for the Resistance, to destroy him by any means necessary. 

 

Even the very image of a dead Kylo frightened her to bits. His bloodied body, a bruised and broken corpse that struck nightmares into her very soul. She couldn’t bear to see him like that one day, to feel the part of him in her own mind wither away with death. 

 

“Gather your things, and tell the fighters to do the same. We leave at dawn,” said the general. 

 

“So early?” asked a voice from the crowd. 

 

“We can’t risk the First Order being alerted of our presence. Taking action quickly will help us have the best chances of survival.” At her words, the lieutenants hurried to obey the command of the general, organizing and yelling commands at their inferiors. 

 

What was her role going to be? Would she be traveling with the Resistance? As if hearing her thoughts, Leia made her way over to Rey. 

 

“You’ll be exploring the galaxy with my brother on a mission,” said the general.

 

“A mission? For what?” To kill Kylo Ren? She hoped with all her heart that it wouldn’t be.

 

“I don’t know. He hasn’t told me, his own sister,” said Leia, chuckling at her brother’s decisions. “You’re leaving the same time as us, but in a completely different direction. Last I saw Luke, he was standing outside the Millennium Falcon.”

 

Nodding at the general’s instructions, Rey made her way to the starship hangar. And sure enough, there was Luke, standing vigil outside the ship. 

 

“Master.” Rey bowed her head, as a sign of respect. 

 

“You need not call me master anymore, Rey,” said Luke, holding Rey’s head in his fatherly hands and lifting it so she could stare into his eyes. “As I have said before, you have completed your training.”

 

Oh, sweet! Was she a Jedi master now?

 

“Thank you,” said Rey, at a loss for what to call her former master. 

 

“You can call me Luke,” he said, smiling at Rey’s confusion. “We are equals now, you and I.” 

 

Woah. Did she just hear him call them equal? Was she really that powerful?

 

“Where are we going, Luke?” asked Rey, curious about her future. 

 

“We’re searching for a way to break that bond of yours. Also, prophecies and other such diddlidoodles,” he said, waving his hand.

 

“Well,” said Rey, an excited smile breaking on her face. “Shall we go?” She motioned towards the Falcon, and followed her master onboard. 

 

Waiting for Luke to take his usual spot as the pilot, she stood awkwardly by the co-pilot’s chair. 

 

“This time, Rey, you are leading us,” said Luke, spinning the pilot’s chair until it faced Rey. Unsure what to do, but also unbearably excited, she sat in the chair. 

 

It was soft, comfortable but at the same time very supportive. 

 

“Set a course for the Unknown regions.” 

 

They were leaving now? This quickly? “But, I haven’t said goodbye to all my friends yet!”

 

“Fear not, Rey. You’ll see them again one day; I guarantee it. Fate does not easily break the paths of intertwined souls, and we would be foolish to against it.” 

 

Rey had a peculiar feeling that Luke was not talking about just her friends at the Resistance. Someone else; someone familiar 

 

Setting the plane to hyperspeed, she felt the lift of the plane, and knew that they were airborne. Shooting one last glance back at the camp, she silently said all her goodbyes. 

 

Zooming off into space, heading for the unknown parts of space, her excitement increased tenfold. 

 

Prophecies, huh? Sounded exciting. 

 

\---------------------------

  
Halfway across the galaxy, Kylo Ren groaned as he spilled himself into the warm body of a stormtrooper whose name he did not remember. 

 

He should feel release, should feel the content feeling that he always used to feel after a good fuck. But instead of feeling satisfied, he felt discontent, still as lustful and feral as he had been when his partner for the night walked into his chambers. 

 

The woman was fine for his needs tonight. Obedient, fearful of punishment, and eager to please. Beautiful and flowing blonde locks, and a curvy body.

 

But he didn’t want that. He wanted warm brown hair, sparkling brown eyes, sun-tanned skin. A warm laugh, comforting hugs and kisses from whom he desired them most. 

 

His hands closed around the woman’s fragile neck, and he could hear her whimpers. They were soft, desperate, and made him even more angry. 

 

“I hate you, Rey!” He heard himself shout out. “What have you done to me? Why do you have such a hold over me?” 

 

Looking into the fearful yet confused blue eyes of the woman, he launched himself away from her. No, this was not Rey. 

 

What was wrong with him? Why did he still desire the light so badly? He had all the women he could ever fuck on board the First Order ship. Why did Rey, her soft skin and gentle smile, speak so loudly to him? Seem more tempting than Snoke’s promise of absolute power?

 

“Get out.” Unable to bear another human’s presence, he waved for the woman to leave his presence. 

 

“But sir-”   
  


“I said, GET OUT!” 

 

Fearful for her life, and her angry superior officer, the woman quickly fled his rooms, wrapping the blanket around herself to appear presentable. But the stormtroopers outside did not even blink an eye. She was what, the fifth one?

 

Inside, Kylo Ren laid on his bed, wrapping his own blanket around his sweaty blanket. 

  
“Oh Rey,” he murmured, angrily clutching his head. “What have you done to me?” 


	35. Chapter 35

“Open your mind, Rey. Do you feel anything in the Force?”

 

Following Luke’s instructions, Rey did as he had asked. She opened her mind, reaching out with the Force to sense every living creature. But still, she kept those walls of steel in her mind intact. 

 

“I don’t think there are any Force-sensitives here. At least, I don’t feel any,” said Rey, glancing at Luke. Was this a test? Did Luke just want to see if she was as powerful as him?

 

“I don’t sense anything either,” said Luke. “Let’s move on to the next one.” Knowing the standard procedure, Rey followed Luke back onto the Falcon. Pressing buttons, she prepared the ship to once again make a journey into space. 

 

It was a quick journey. Just a few minutes in hyperspace allowed them to land on the next planet. 

 

Stepping out of the Falcon, Rey felt the disturbance in her mind. Someone, or some _ thing _ , was here on the planet. The Force did not lie. Looking at Luke’s own expression, she knew that she wasn’t the only one who felt it. 

 

The planet itself seemed to be out of place. The trees stood luscious and tall, but not even the slightest whisper of wind disturbed their healthy leaves. No animals skittered across the forest floor, no singsong chirps of birds roosting in their springtime nests. 

 

It didn’t feel right, but it didn’t feel wrong. It was like an odd balance of serenity and chaos. 

 

Oh, she felt faint. She nearly collapsed onto the floor at her body’s sudden lack of strength, had it not been for the quick arms and reflexes of Luke, who caught her in his arms. 

 

“Did he do it again?”

 

Nodding, Rey tried to stand to regain her strength. Somewhere off in the galaxy, Kylo had called upon her power, using her skills in the Force for his own exploits. 

 

She hoped no died because of her. Or worse. 

 

“You have to teach me how to block him out. I can’t keep living like this!” Frustrated, Rey kicked at a nearby plant.

 

“It’s not a matter of how he’s able to use you. You’re letting him into your mind, Rey.”

 

She had heard this so many times already. “I don’t know how I’m letting him in,” she said. “It just seems like, whenever I feel emotion, he comes in. Is it supposed to be like this?”

 

“You’re forgetting that there is no emotion, only peace.”

 

Luke’s answer left her feeling more confused than when she had started out. Was it really possible to cast aside all feelings? To become an unfeeling, solid stone?

 

The sky was illuminated by the sunset; darkness already reigning over the land. 

 

“We should go back to the ship and sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll explore,” said Luke. Nodding, Rey followed him back to the Falcon, eager to be able to rest. 

 

\---------------------------

 

Kylo knew, when he fell asleep, that he would see Rey one way or another. He held his breath with excitement, feeling himself enter the dreamscape. 

 

This time, it was his dream. A worn house on the the brink of a forest, his childhood home. 

 

He hated this place. Every time his mind brought him here, the light would try to enter his soul. Nowhere else had he felt so conflicted; besides being with Rey. 

 

No matter how hard he tried, memories of his childhood would always sneak their way into his mind. Days passed giggling at his father’s jokes, his mother’s sweet cookies. Running through the soft grass fields, tugging at uncle Chewie’s long matted fur. 

 

It was a part of him, his past. Something he could deny but never destroy. He hated himself for not being strong enough to cast his past aside. 

 

Singing drifted out into the air, a sweet melody. What was it? Was his dream conjuring up an image of his mother? Ugh. He couldn’t deal with this tonight. 

 

The music, a soft lullaby from his days as a boy, struck a chord within him. So beautiful, like a delicate little flower. 

 

He ignited his lightsaber, before peeking in through the loose brick under the left lamppost. At least, in his dreams he was strong enough to kill his mother. 

 

But it was not Leia Organa who sang from inside his cabin. Rather, lying on the bed and singing a sweet melody, was Rey. 

 

He didn’t take a moment to digest this information. Without further ado, he kicked down the door, entering the cabin. 

 

“You left me!” He shouted, the anger coursing through his body. 

 

Rey’s face was made up of pure fear, her eyes hesitant at the sight of his lightsaber. Did he really have enough strength to kill her?

 

Apparently, he did. Kylo brought his lightsaber down, but Rey managed to roll off the bed at the very last second. 

 

“I had to leave, Kylo. I’m sorry!” said Rey, backing slowly away from him, her eyes fixated on his weapon. 

 

“What do you mean,” he said, walking slowly towards her and destroying all the furniture between them. “You had to leave?”

 

Finally, he loomed right above her. He was so close to her, he could practically smell the fear coming off of her in waves. 

 

Those beautiful lips of hers quivered with fear, trembling at the sight of his lightsaber. He should be happy, satisfied that she finally treated him with the reverence and awe that he so deserved. He should be eager to bring his lightsaber down, to punish her for her betrayal. 

 

But all he wanted to do at that moment was to hug her. No kisses, no feelings of lust. Just a warm and reassuring hug. 

 

Not possible, however. Rey brought out her own lightsaber, taking advantage of Kylo’s hesitation. Their blades met, sparks falling onto the floor at the intense collision. 

 

Enemies again. They engaged in a battle, their steps dancing in a dangerous dance of passion and violence.

 

She had gotten stronger. That he could tell. Her strikes were more confident, stronger and more powerful than when he had last fought her. 

 

Their battle carried them out of the cottage, onto the grassy plain. Plants were burned at every stroke of their lightsabers, the ground at their feet soon scorched a dark brown. 

 

Both panting and sweating, they soon found themselves fighting on the edge of the forest, and their battle carried them into the trees. 

 

Was it just a few minutes, or a million hours? Their battle seemed to transcend time, the stars and the universe pausing just to allow these two battered souls to fight. 

 

“Just come home, Kylo!” shouted Rey sounding desperate.

 

“No, Rey. It’s you that needs to come back home, back to me,” said Kylo.

 

Left parry, right stab, and, there! Rey stumbled on the ground, and Kylo took his opportunity. He tackled her, pinning her to the ground with his strong legs and arms. 

 

She flailed, trying desperately to push him off of her. Her resistance finally ended when Kylo brought his lightsaber close to her face, the blade close enough to bathe her face in a red darker than blood itself. 

 

“Go on, then. Kill me.”

 

“Gladly,” sneered Kylo. 

 

But he found that he couldn’t do it. It was as if a mystical force prevented him from bringing his lightsaber down onto her neck.

 

“What, can’t do it?” Sneered Rey. “I guess you really are weak.”

 

“Don’t,” said Kylo, spitting onto Rey’s face with anger, “call me weak.”

 

“Then why can’t you kill me?”

 

Honestly, Kylo didn’t have an answer. Oh, he wanted to kill her. But he also wanted to kiss her. And hug her. And tell her that he loved her. 

 

“Fine then,” said Rey. She brought her hand up to stroke Kylo’s cheek, an odd motion that surprised him. “There’s still light in you, Ben. You can still come back to the light.”

 

“Ben,” said Kylo, “is long dead. I killed him.”

 

“No,” said Rey. “He’s here.” she placed his hand over his heart, her fingers delicate against his strong chest. “You just need time to realize.”

 

Quickly, faster than he could ever imagine, Rey launched herself up with a sudden force of strength, her neck colliding with the lightsaber that he had been holding next to her neck during the entire exchange.

 

“NO!” screamed Kylo. He waited for her to fall back onto the ground, eyes glazed and dead, blood running like water onto the ground. 

 

But Rey wasn’t even there anymore. She had just,  _ disappeared, _ into thin air. Was this another trick that his uncle taught her?

 

It was just him now. The dream went back to its regular state, pristine and quiet before the battle. The birds chirped again, the wind once again rustling the grass. No more sweet melodious songs rang out through the cottage, no sweet and comforting lullaby. 

 

The silence was unnerving, the peace disturbing. He would rather be locking blades with Rey, or hearing her sing that sweet lullaby again. 

 

The light had awakened in him once again.

 

Ow!

 

His heart stung, and he fell to his knees. Controlling his breathing, he tried to summon back the darkness inside of him to ward off the sudden light. 

 

He was Kylo Ren, not Ben Solo. Commander of the First Order, not the son of the leader of the Resistance. The padawan of Snoke, not the apprentice to Luke Skywalker. 

 

Finding himself sitting on the forest floor, he crept his knees up to his chest and grabbed them with his arms so he was entwined into a fetal position. 

 

There was no light. Only darkness. 

 

Kylo Ren doubted himself, even as he heard himself speak the words out loud. The light was strong; so the darkness inside of him had to made even stronger. 

 

_ Master,  _ he thought,  _ I need your help. _

 

\---------------------------

 

Rey awoke not suddenly, but also not too slowly. It was like emerging from water, and she awoke with sudden gasps. 

 

Luke was already by the side of her bed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Don’t speak,” he said. “I already know it all.”

 

“Well,” said Rey, rubbing the side of her head, “is there any way I can keep him out of my dreams?”

 

“No, not dreams. They’re vulnerable, malleable landscapes that can be changed.”

 

“So I’m doomed to suffer every single night? See his face every day, listen to his taunts?” Frustrated, Rey heard her voice rising to a shout. 

 

“Yes.” said Luke, his face sad and broken. He knew Rey’s pain, could feel it through the Force. “Tell me,” he said, “does Ben still feel the light?”

 

Rey noted how he called Kylo Ren ‘Ben’. “I think he does. The place our dream was in, it was some sort of cottage on a grassy plain next to a forest.”

 

Luke’s face lit up with excitement. “Ahh. That’s his old childhood home.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“Yes. Han and Leia wanted a small home; somewhere quiet and secluded.”

 

Considering the new turn of events, Rey absentmindedly picked at her nails. “So, he does still feel part of the light? Ben Solo exists?”

 

“Yes, he does. I hope that we can still bring him back.”

 

“How?”

 

“Oh, it’s quite simple really. There will be a point when Ben feels the call towards the light more than the seduction of the darkness.”

 

“So I have to keep visiting him in the dreams?”

 

“Yes. If you can, try dreaming up past memories, like the academy or vacation spots. Something that speaks to him; something personal.”

 

Hmm. Like his chambers, where they shared kisses? “Yeah. That’s a good plan. Only problem is, he keeps trying to kill me in the dreams.”

 

Roaring with laughter, Luke clutched his belly. “You don’t need to worry about that! People in a Force bond are physically unable to hurt each other.”

 

Oh, that was good! So Kylo couldn’t kill her. Remembering how he hesitated to bring down his lightsaber in the forest during their dream, she knew that there would never be an end to their struggle for dominance.

 

“Do I talk to him every night? Or do I just fight with him?” asked Rey. 

 

“Anything that works. You know,  _ personal _ things,” said Luke, winking at her. 

 

Rey knew exactly what he was thinking. Yuck. Never again would she kiss that monster!

 

But deep inside, she knew that she wanted to kiss him. To hold him, hug him, stroke his lovely and luscious black hair. To sing him sweet lullabies, joke about their times as children. 

 

She wanted the old Ben back, so badly. But was Kylo Ren strong enough to cast off the darkness? All she could do was hope. 

 

“I understand, Luke. I’ll prepare for the next night. For now, let’s go explore,” said Rey, gathering her things and readying to leave the Falcon. 

  
There was something wrong with this planet; something that made her feel uncomfortable. She would find it, whatever it was. 


	36. Chapter 36

“I see nothing so far, Luke. Just trees and so much green!”

 

Rey was getting frustrated. She and Luke had been tracing the Force signature for quite a while, searching for the source. The further they strayed from it, the less of an effect the strange Force had on their minds.

 

Now, her mind was positively spinning from all the energy inside. But where was the source? They were still standing in a clearing, surrounded by luscious plants and tall trees. Everything was as normal as it could be.

 

“Luke?” Rey wondered if he had heard a single word of her rant. What was he doing?

 

Instead of answer, she heard a loud _thump_ echo through the clearing.

 

“Here, Rey,” said Luke. Rey ran forward, following his voice; excited at what Luke had found. Was it a person? An old artifact of the past Jedi empires?

 

Instead, he was crouching over a metal plate on the ground.

 

“What is it?” she asked.

 

“I don’t know. Looks like some sort of trapdoor.” Rey nodded, absorbing Luke’s words. It did look like a trapdoor. There were designs on it, intricate pieces of art. Crouching down to meet Luke’s level, she traced her finger over the ridges and bumps.

 

It was two figures, male and female, bending their bodies so they formed a circle. In the middle was nothing but a smooth bulb, a round circle.

 

Rey hated ancient art. So pointless.

 

“Does it open? Or is this tiny little piece of art responsible for the Force disturbance?”

 

“I haven’t tried. I merely moved the rock on top of it away,” said Luke.

 

“Hmm,” said Rey. Her fingers continued brushing, searching for any sort of switch or knob. Her hand inevitably landed on the giant knob in the middle. It seemed like her hand was being encompassed by the two artistic figures on the trapdoor, a sort of dance of balance.

 

Unexpectedly, the trapdoor swung open. So fast, it tugged her with her down into the black depths.

 

Screeching with fear, she felt herself in free fall. It lasted a few seconds, though, before she fell onto a soft pile of leaves.

 

Why did she have such a tendency to fall onto her bones? Rey rubbed her hip, feeling it once again become sore.

 

“Rey?” she heard Luke call out. “Are you okay?” His concerned face was illuminated by the sunlight, a bright contrast to the darkness she was currently being encompassed in.

 

“Yeah, I am.”

 

A rope slid down through the hole, and a moment later Luke Skywalker climbed down with agility and ease.

 

“So,” he said, “any idea where we are?”

 

Looking around, Rey could make out nothing but darkness. “Nothing,” she said, “except for that.” She pointed to the odd brazier in front of her, no doubt a holder for a torch.

 

“Perfect,” said Luke.

 

What? What was perfect? Did she miss something? But not a second later, Luke extended his lightsaber, before touching it to the brazier. Instantly, it lit up, bright dancing colors the deep blue of Luke’s lightsaber.

 

The brazier was not the only thing lit on fire. The fire spread around chasms and manmade trenches, illuminating more of the room, until Rey and Luke found themselves looking at a huge underground temple.

 

Whistling, Rey stood up and brushed the dust off of her robes. “Woah. We missed a lot.”

 

Compared to the few temples she had seen before, this underground cave was nothing similar.

 

She and Luke were currently standing on a platform, a viewpoint for the entire temple. Off in the far distance, she could see more pyramids, and several other buildings.

 

No, this was not a temple. Rather, it was an underground city.

 

“Interesting,” said Luke, stroking his beard. “I’ve heard of such cities but have never seen one in my entire life.”

 

“Well, what do we do?” asked Rey.

 

“We do the obvious.” said Luke, rubbing his hands together like an excited little kid. “We explore!” Finishing speaking, Luke immediately ran off, running down the stairs of their elevated platform and running off into the distance.

 

Sighing, Rey felt lost as she watched her master disappear. Would she even see him again.

 

 _Don’t forget,_ said Luke in her mind, _we can talk with the Force. Now go explore. I don’t believe there to be any hostile enemies in such a Force-sensitive area._

 

Well, where should she start? Rey hesitatingly walked down the stairs, at a much slower pace than Luke had gone at. She scanned nearby buildings, and entered the nearest one.

 

While there was no natural light, the small house she had walked into was illuminated by the same lightsaber-induced fire that ran throughout the entire city. Still, Rey hated how no sunlight reached the dark depths of the city.

 

Nothing here, beside a few worn-down tables and rough bed frames. Walking out disappointedly, she walked further down the city.

 

It was eerily silent. In the distance, she could hear shuffles, knowing them to be Luke’s.

 

Walking down the giant city road, Rey felt a strange sort of nostalgia. How many other pairs of feet had walked the same path as she currently was on? How many romances, how many deaths, had happened in this silent city? How many happy parents, giggling children?

 

And where were the inhabitants?

 

She passed several other buildings, and decided to enter what seemed to be a big villa. The door was well preserved, still with its fancy details intact. She entered, greeted once again with light.

 

It was much roomier than the previous house she had entered. She seemed to be in a foyer, a greeting room with several discarded couches on the side.

 

She walked into the next room, making sure to step over rubble.

 

In the corner of this one stood a crib. Small, fragile, but still intact. She made her way over to it, and peeked inside to find nothing but emptiness.

 

A baby had played here.

 

What was it like, to grow up with parents? With people to love her, hold her in their arms.

 

Sure, she had regained all her memories of her past at the academy, with Ben and Luke. Her name, too, she had regained. Rey Kenobi.

 

But there seemed to be a block on any memory past her arrival at the academy. It was like an impenetrable fortress, with invaluable memories stored inside that she could not reach.

 

Kenobi. She had heard that name before, in the stories of the old empire and of heroes past and gone.

 

Absentmindedly still rocking the baby crib, she allowed herself to daydream of happy children and what could have been. Did she have parents? Where were they?

 

Ugh. The nostalgia was becoming sickening. She stood abruptly, and went into the next room, wanting to distance herself far away from the fancy nursery room. Inside her soul, she felt jealous of the baby that had occupied the crib.

 

The next room contained something interesting. Artwork.

 

Canvases, painted wood and chiseled statues. Some stood completed, others left abandoned. Many had lost the battle with time, their colors faded or canvases peeling. But there were plenty other that were easily discerned.

 

In one, it was water. A sea that seemed to expand into the entire horizon. In another, it was a hot jungle, trees draped with elegant vines.

 

But there was only one that spoke to her. She walked up to it, tracing a finger over the fragile paint.

 

A woman, holding a baby smiling brighter than the sun. A mother and a beautiful child.

 

While the mother was smiling, it was more of an expression of awe. Wonder and love, happiness and pure satisfaction.

 

She knew what pure happiness was.

 

Many imagined running around while happy, joyous actions that the world could see. Happy and loud shouts, or perhaps booming songs of happiness.

 

But instead, pure happiness was gentle. More like the feeling of completion. No need for joyous songs; for no words could describe such a wondrous feeling. One that had avoided her for her entire life.

 

Looking again at the painted mother, Rey felt tears swimming to her eyes. She would never know that feeling, as long as her parents remained in the dark.

 

She couldn’t stand this anymore! Rey abruptly turned around, and left the house as quickly as she stood. She continued walking down the street, trying to gain as much distance as possible from the house.

 

 _You done yet, Luke?_ asked Rey, desperate to leave.

 

Images flew through their conversation. Luke’s happy hands examining artifacts, his strong legs climbing stairs and ladders. _Just a few more minutes,_ he said back.

 

So, Rey continued onward through the city. It would be a while before Luke’s curiosity was sated. No, they were not staying here for just one night. This planet might just become her new home.

 

She walked some more, glancing at the architecture of the city around her. Some houses were made with what seemed to be glistening jade, while others were merely plain brick.

 

Everything was different, nothing similar. Some houses had tiled roofs, others had giant towering ones that rose up into the cavern’s sky.

 

She walked and walked, until her legs started to burn from the effort.

 

Her eyes focused on a giant temple, practically a huge pyramid that seemed to mark the end of the giant road. She walked faster, feeling an odd excitement to enter it.

 

She panted when she reached the pyramid stairs, and allowed herself a minute or so to catch her breath again. Stretching her back, she began the arduous task of climbing up the flight of stairs.

 

Were they made of pure gold? They glistened underneath a layer of dust, glimmering with beauty and wealth.

 

There was no door to the temple. Just a giant hole; a big entryway that could have easily fit the entire Falcon. Walking through it, Rey didn’t know what to expect.

 

It was spacious, very large. Larger than Rey had ever expected. The floor itself was sunken lower than the entryway, providing more space. From her vantage point, Rey could pick out entryways into corridors.

 

At the far end of the pyramid, there stood what seemed to be a giant altar, large and imposing.

 

Wow. So much to explore. Unsure what to do, she walked down the stairs into the temple and into the nearest corridor.

 

It was claustrophobic, this one. So tiny she had to crouch. Feeling squished, she all but ran into the room at the end of the hallway. Taking deep breaths to rid herself of nausea from the tiny hallway, she looked around the room.

 

Ooh. What a cute little study room. Books still lined bookshelves around the room, ancient but sturdy enough to withstand the test of time.

 

Too busy looking around, she wasn’t careful enough to watch her footing. Tripping over a loose stone on the ground, she shrieked, extending her hand to search for any support.

 

It landed on a nearby bookshelf, and she sighed in relief.

 

Odd. The bookshelf was sliding under her fingers. She pushed again, experimentally. To her surprise, the bookshelf slid smoother than a door hinge, without any sort of creaking or resistance.

 

What was inside? Riches? Adrenaline rushed through her, and she quickly pushed the rest of the bookshelf-door away, before running into the room.

 

There were no piles of gold, no hoards of gems. No invaluable weapons, or intricate jewelry. Neither was it a tomb of the rich, for a body was nowhere in sight.

 

Rather, a book stood on an illuminated pedestal in the middle.

 

Okay, Rey knew that knowledge was power. Wasn’t this a bit overkill, though? All this secrecy for what, a book?

 

Shrugging, she picked up the book, blowing the dust off of the cover.

 

“The Records of the Communal Affairs,” read the title.

 

Affairs, huh? Opening the book, Rey started to read.

 

Hmm. Apparently a woman named Bupabin was exiled for attempting to overthrow the government here. Interesting.

 

Wow. A man was able to eat 10 pounds of meat in one sitting. Impressive.

 

The list went on, some serious matters like treaties being mixed with slightly less intimidating topics like the formers.

 

A new chapter emerged when she turned the page.

 

“The Discovery of the Balance of the Force,” read the next chapter.

 

Rey eagerly turned into the chapter, nearly ripping the page apart in her excitement. The balance of the Force? That sounded both intimidating and interesting.

 

“While a previous chapter has talked about soulmates,” said the first sentence. Rey nodded, remembering that past chapter. It had been full of romance, fluffy stories that had made her have hope for the future. Eternal romances, like Bastila and Revan.

 

“This next chapter delves into a more complicated idea; the idea of two separate individuals representing the dual sides of the Force. A perfect combination of the light and the dark.”

 

Rey paused her reading, staring at the book like it was her worst nightmare. The light and the dark? Dual sides of the Force?

  
Oh no. This sounded too familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooOOOOHHHH SUSPENSE
> 
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> i hate myself for doing this to my dear readers :I


	37. Chapter 37

The book was burning in her hands. She couldn’t put it down, but she couldn’t bear to continue reading. 

 

What? What did it mean by the balance of the Force? She wanted to read on. She wanted to throw the book away. She wanted to fly the Falcon as far from this forsaken planet as possible. But she had to read on. If this did concern her, it might hold the answers to her life long questions. 

 

“While much is not known about the Force, it has been proven over centuries of studies that the Force does indeed take many different forms,” read the next sentence. Why yes, Rey already knew that. Was this all this chapter was going to be on? Lessons about the Force which she already studied with Luke?

 

“But while many think that the Force is just a distant thing; they do not realize the possibility of the Force manifesting itself into individuals.”

 

Woah. The Force, manifesting as individuals? Rey tried to imagine the outcome; probably a huge and powerful dragon or a supreme emperor of the universe. 

 

“Particularly, two separate individuals.”

 

So, people? Human beings, living and breathing, just as normal as her?

 

“It caused a great disturbance in the Force when a certain individual was born in the late summer last year.”

 

No year? No date? No name? Ugh! She wanted more information. 

 

“This particular individual was a girl. The moment she was born, it is said that the high altar cracked perfectly in two, prompting a debate. Was she the manifestation of the light side, or the dark side?

 

Her legacy was great, tracing back to the old Jedi master, and hero of the republic, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Mother was reported to be Davina Kenobi, daughter of Obi-Wan.”

 

Davina? Her mother’s name? Rey slowly traced the faded words on the book, treasuring it more than any wealth on Earth. At last; a name. Davina. It sounded so sweet, so caring and gentle. 

 

“Davina Kenobi named her daughter Reyna Kenobi. It was evident that this little baby was indeed conceived by the Force, as evident by the amount of pure energy that she held.”

 

Her? Reyna Kenobi? All this time, she had called herself Rey, not knowing it to be a nickname or her formal one. It did sound cool, she had to admit. Royal, powerful, commanding. 

 

“Not two moons ago, she was responsible for blowing a hole in the roof during one of her many temper tantrums.”

 

Hah. Sounded like her. But was she really conceived by the Force? Just a mother, and no father. Maybe that was why she felt as if she never belonged in this universe. Maybe that was why she was always so lonely, so upset at everything. 

 

“Ironically, Reyna Kenobi was discovered to have a soulmate. This provided an interesting consequence; being that she was the manifestation of the Force. Was her soulmate a regular human? Or also a prodigy such as she?”

 

Now this was getting interesting. She had a soulmate? Who? No doubt a dashing prince; the very image of chivalry and beauty. Giggling like a girl lost in love, she turned the pace, eager to find out. 

 

“Han Solo and Leia Organa, also heroes of the republic. At that time, they had a young son named Ben Solo. Black hair, brown eyes.”   
  


What did the Skywalker family have anything to do with this? And Ben? Rey didn’t like where this was going. 

 

“On the day that Rey was born, Ben’s parents reported that he mentioned a ‘great disturbance’ in the Force. He himself was now changed, the bond now created between him and his soulmate.”

 

Kylo Ren had a soulmate? That evil, despicable monster who was responsible for so many deaths? That imbued such passion inside of her?

 

“Consequently, when Ben was brought to the temple to meet Rey, it was immediately evident that they were indeed soulmates.”

 

At this point, Rey tossed the book across the room. She sunk to the floor, her hands shaking with panic. 

 

Then, realization hit her hard. 

 

Kylo Ren? He was her soulmate? The very man whom she hated, whom had been the cause of so much pain, was the man destined to make her happy? 

 

Down went her mental walls, practically torn apart by her anger, hurt and confusion. Down went her defenses, her ability to defend herself. Down she went into hatred, spiraling downward into confusion. 

 

_ Oh Reyy….. _

 

Of course he had snuck in when her defenses were down. But Rey couldn’t even put up a fight. She couldn’t even throw back a snarky comment

 

And so, Kylo was granted access to her thoughts. Every single word she had just read, every single revelation now also in his mind. 

 

For the first time in his life, Kylo Ren seemed to be at a loss for words. 

 

_ You know? _ he asked. 

 

_ Yes, of course I know, you idiot.  _

 

Silence. Then,  _ so you’re finally ready to take your place by my side? _

 

_ No, you blumbering bastard,  _ she said.  _ You’re going to have to come back with me.  _

 

_ Rey _ , Kylo sadly responded,  _ you and I both know that that isn’t possible.  _

 

_ Then we do not have an agreement, Kylo,  _ she said back. 

 

Surprisingly, Kylo left her head all on his own. She hadn’t even needed to try to push him out. Now, it was just her and her emotions

 

Soulmates. The Force. Everything was just so screwed up, so messed up. Why couldn’t she just have born as a normal child? With normal parents who loved her, and a normal, loving soulmate?

 

She didn’t ask for any of this! She didn’t ask to be thrown into this giant mess when she rescued BB-8 back on Jakku. 

 

Screaming aloud, she finally released all her anger. All her confusion, surprise, and all the other emotions that had been cooped up in her. It felt great to just scream, to lash out with the Force at everything around her. It was pure power, the power that she had been born with. 

 

But then the room started to crumble with the pure force that she had released. 

 

Knowing her life to be in danger, Rey quickly snatched the book from across the room where she had thrown it, and scurried quickly out into the little corridor. 

 

As she ran, she heard rumbling behind her. Shooting a quick glance over her shoulder, she watched as the room collapsed inward on itself, causing dust to wash over her body. But the destruction did not stop just there. The corridor then continued to crash down, and Rey quickened her pace. Would she be buried alive here? Forever lost to the world, a broken body left behind?

 

She finally emerged from the small hallway, and ran for her life up the stairs to exit the pyramid. A loud crash caused her to turn her head just in time to witness the outer corner of the pyramid collapses inwards, no doubt destroying the library that she had been in. 

 

Oops. 

 

_ Rey, I heard the crash. Are you okay? I’ll be right there.   _ asked Luke. 

 

_ Yeah, I’m fine. Just, some bad things happened.  _ she responded. 

 

Sure enough, she soon heard Luke’s swift footsteps, alerting his arrival. Out of breath, she stopped just in front of Rey, and scanned her once to make sure she was unharmed. 

 

“What did you even do in there?” he asked.

 

Without answering, Rey held up the book, and gave it to Luke to read, and gain his own answers. But Luke didn’t take the book. He looked at it with a solemn expression, and took a deep breath. 

 

“So now you know, Reyna,” he said. 

 

Reyna. A word of the past, days untold. She didn’t like it. “Just call me Rey.” she said. “Yes, I know of this whole soulmate mess. But I still don’t know my parents.”

 

“Thankfully, I do,” said Luke. He turned away from her, and began slowly walking down the long road, no doubt to the exit of this odd ancient city.

 

“Where are you going?” asked Rey. Was he trying to run away? Trying to leave her like her parents did so long ago?

 

“Back to the ship,” said Luke, letting out a sigh. “I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

 

“Yeah, you do,” said Rey. “So, start now.”

 

Caught aback by her sudden command, Luke had to scramble for thoughts. Honestly, he was going to use the walk back to the ship to organize his thoughts. “Let’s start with your mother.”

 

“So I have no father?”

 

“Correct.”

 

Confused, Rey shook her head. “How can I have no father? This book,” she said, pointing to it, “said that I was the manifestation of the Force.”

  
“Well, that book is correct. No doubt you know Darth Vader?”

 

Nodding, Rey felt proud that she at least knew some information. “Yes. Anakin Skywalker was his name. Your father?”

 

“Yeah, my father. He was just like you; born of a mother but fathered by the Force itself. Pure power, sent into the universe in the body of a fragile human. Called the ‘Chosen One’, and other sort of grandiose names.”

 

“Wasn’t the Chosen One supposed to bring balance to the Force?” asked Rey. “All Darth Vader did was kill all the Jedi.”

 

Instead of being angered at Rey’s insults at his father, Luke instead laughed. “He did bring balance, technically. He accomplished the balance of Sith and Jedi, by killing all the younglings. But all jokes aside, he did fail.”

 

“So, balance never did happen,” said Rey, musing over the new information. 

 

“And that’s where you come in,” said Luke. “The Force created another human, and that was you.”

 

“So, I’m basically atoning for your father’s mistakes?”

 

“Yes. That’s about right,” said Luke, shrugging. “Now that we’ve got your father down, we should move onto your mother.”

 

“Davina Kenobi. Wasn’t she the daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

 

“Yes, she was. Later in his life, before my father killed him, Obi-Wan did find love. It was true love, not the dalliances that the Jedi Order forbade,” said Luke. 

 

“So where is she now?” asked Rey. Luke knew what she was asking. She wanted to know if her mother was still alive. 

 

“I have no idea.”

 

“Then how do you know my real name?” asked Rey, disappointed that Luke couldn’t tell her the location of her mother. 

 

Luke looked off into the distance, reminiscing about the past. “I had just founded the academy, when she came. If I close my eyes, I can see her desperate eyes again. She practically begged me to take you, asking me to keep you safe.”

 

“Where did she leave after she left me?” asked Rey. It hurt her, to think that her mother all but threw her away. 

 

“Trust me, Rey. She did it to keep you safe. She flew away, on a starship, after I took you into the academy. It seemed serious, whatever she was going to do after giving you to me. Something about a temple.”

 

With nothing more to say, Luke and Rey walked silently back to the entrance. The trapdoor was still open, Luke’s rope still dangling from the top. After Luke pulled himself up, Rey followed, desperate to feel the sunlight on her face once again. 

 

It was good to see daylight again. The dark underground city had been too quiet, too void of color. Tall trees and the soft grass beneath her feet flooded her view with green, and she felt more at peace. The very air itself feels fresh; unlike the suffocating atmosphere that they had just ventured in. 

 

“What was that place?” Rey asked, actually quite curious.

 

“I dug through some papers while you were busy… um… destroying the temple,” said Luke. “It was founded by the one and only Obi-Wan, during his exile.”

 

“Who lived there?”

 

“People who were fearful of the outer world. Tired of the ongoing fights between light and dark, of all the worthless deaths. Refugees, elites, nobles, everyone imaginable.”

 

What was her mother fleeing from when she came? Or who?

 

“Something happened, though. I have no idea what it was, but it forced all the inhabitants to leave quite suddenly. I’m assuming around the time your mother gave you to me,” said Luke. Rey agreed with his theory; for it was well thought and decently explanatory. 

 

“What are we going to do now, Luke? Will we leave to explore other planets?” she asked. 

 

“I’m going to stay here, and explore more. There’s something down there that we missed, something important,” he said. 

 

Rey felt it too. It was like a tugging in her mind, whispers in the back of the head. They had missed something important, something vital. 

 

“I’ll stay with you,” said Rey. “I want to find it too.”

 

Perhaps, just maybe, she would find out more about herself. 

 

\----------------------------

 

Back on the First Order’s base, Kylo Ren had his lightsaber out, hacking at every damageable surface within his reach.

 

She knew now. She  _ knew _ all about their bond. He should be happy, should be rejoicing at the fact that his soulmate finally knew that she was bound eternally to him. But the way she still existed, still stubbornly refused to come with him, made him furious. 

 

He had been gentle, loving, and caring when he had her last. Had shown her nothing but love, had allowed her to see examples of the pure power that she could hold; power that she was entitled to. 

 

Maybe she had also seen the prophecy? 

 

No. He hadn’t seen a trace of it in her mind. Forces forbid if she ever did read it. 

 

He had to move in quickly, stop her from reading the prophecy. Striding quickly, he walked into the control room, ceasing all conversation. 

 

“General Hux,” he said. The general spun around, facing him with a sneer on his face. “I’ll need several ships, all fueled and ready to depart.”

 

At his words, Hux attempted to speak back, to undermine Kylo’s command. Kylo quickly spoke before Hux could even open his mouth. Today was not a good day for anyone to try and irk him. 

 

“I think you heard that as a question. It wasn’t.” Without any other words, Kylo spun out of the control room, heading for the knights.

 

They were in training, beating each other with their staffs when Kylo walked in. Immediately, all sank onto their knees. 

 

“We’ve got a mission to accomplish. Gather your lightsabers and meet me on the starship bridge.”

 

With that settled, Kylo walked out of the training barracks, knowing that his command would be quickly followed. The knights might hate that he held the power, but even they could not disobey the order of their master.

 

The doors to Snoke’s room quickly open, and he walks in to kneel at the feet of his own master. 

 

“I already know what you plan to do, Kylo Ren,” hisses the voice of Snoke. Of course Snoke would know. He knows everything.

 

“Take her quickly, before she can read the prophecy. We still have time to mold her to our needs. Her past has been revealed, along with the soulmate bond.” Snoke said, and waved his hand. “Go now, move quickly.”

 

Dismissed, Kylo walked quickly out of the room, eager to get Rey back. 

  
_ I’m coming for you, again. _


	38. Chapter 38

The Falcon was finally in sight, and Rey was never so glad to see the ship. She had been worried that the First Order had located them, but the ship still sat where they had left it. 

 

Luke walked up the ramp, and Rey followed. 

 

“Follow me, Rey,” he said, walking through the Falcon and winding through hallways that Rey had never ventured into before. They finally stopped before a worn-down door, one that seemed as ancient as time itself. Opening the rusty door with a loud creak, Luke walked inside and motioned for Rey to follow. 

 

Inside, there was nothing special. Boxes stacked upon each other, discarded junk that lay forgotten. 

 

“I’ve had this for a long time,” grunted Luke, pulling a large box off of a pile and laying it to rest at their feet. “Your mother gave it to me, and I waited for the right time to give it to you.”

 

The box clanged open, the locks rattling with old age. Inside, there seemed to be a solitary piece of metal. But when Luke picked it up in her hands, she immediately recognized the model of a lightsaber. 

 

“This is yours, by right of birth.” Luke extended the handle to Rey, who hesitatingly took it into her own hands. 

 

Immediately, it felt right. It molded into her hands, each curve fitting the shape of her fingers. It spoke to her, it listened to her, like another part of her body. 

 

Holding it out before her, but still at a distance from Luke, she pressed the button to activate it. 

 

Buzzing alive, not one, but two blades sprouted from each end of the handle. Bright yellow, shinier than the sun above. They hummed with energy, pure power.

 

It felt like her. Not too stable, but not too reckless. Unsure, but still dangerous nonetheless. With this new weapon, Rey felt more like herself. It was the stability she always needed, a companion to chase away the lonliness that had plagued her for so long. 

 

“It fits you, Reyna Kenobi,” said Luke, smiling at Rey’s wondrous expression. “Now you finally have your weapon.”

 

Rey felt a little bit disappointed. She had wanted to make her own lightsaber, with her own hands and strength. But she doubted that any other weapon could ever fit her as perfectly as this new lightsaber. 

 

“A new weapon is not the only thing you will get today, Rey. A new mission also awaits you,” said Luke, before taking the book out of Rey’s hands. She had forgotten that she still held it. 

 

“In this book, there is also a prophecy that was written, in a chapter that soon follows your own.”

 

“Is it a prophecy of the future?”

 

“Yes, and it primarily involves you,” said Luke, opening the book to the correct chapter before giving it back to Rey to read.

 

She took the book, blowing off the accumulated dust on the paper to reveal the title: “The Prophecy: the Light and the Dark.” Why did everything relate to the balance of the Light and Dark sides? It was a recurring and unavoidable theme. 

 

“In the year 16 of the newly founded Republic, it was prophesied that the universe would see yet another major catastrophe. A disturbance in the Force, death and blood rampant. Families shall be torn apart, father against son.”

 

Rey visibly shivered, the last sentence burning a hole in heart. Father against son. 

 

“As the stars have told the high priests, the Light would vanquish the Dark and the universe would be propelled into an era of wealth and prosperity.”

 

After that sentence, the page turned blank, the ink smudged onto the crisp and clean paper. 

 

Oh, that was good. Rey nodded her head, a smile forming on her lips. An era of wealth, happiness abundant. That was just what everyone needed; with so much blood and death everywhere. She raised her head to look into Luke’s eyes. 

 

“An era of wealth, huh? Just what we need!” she said, but her laughter did not carry on to Luke. 

 

“I’m afraid there’s more to the prophecy, Rey,” said Luke, taking the book back from her with gentle hands. “Yes, the Light side might defeat the Dark side, but the other possibility is quite possible.”

 

“You mean,” gulped Rey, “that the Dark side could vanquish the Light? That we could fail?”

 

“Yes. That is exactly what I mean. Non-stop death, endless rivers of blood and tears at the hands of the First Order and other evils.”

 

Rey paused, thinking deeply about what Luke just said. 

 

“Right now,” she said, devising a plan, “the Light side is primarily just us, right? And the dark side is Snoke and Kylo?”

 

“Well, the Resistance fancies themselves to be on our side,” said Luke. “But they have no definite place in this battle. Ben and Snoke are on the current dark side. So really, it’s just a battle between two Jedi and two Sith.”

 

“What if Kylo were to be redeemed?”

 

Luke sighed. “I’ve thought about that possibility for a long time, Rey. If Kylo were to come back to the Light, we might be able to kill Snoke.”

 

“Well,” said Rey, “is that my mission? To bring Kylo back to the light?”

 

“I’m not forcing you to do this, Rey,” said Luke, looking both relieved and horrified. “I’m merely asking. Plenty of other people could do it, and we could no doubt take down the First Order with more help and time from the Resistance.”

 

Rey knew that Luke was exaggerating. The feeble and outdated planes of the Resistance would prove no match to the First Order’s superpowered weapons. And time? What time? 

 

“Don’t worry,” said Rey, slipping her lightsaber into her belt. It made a satisfying sound as it clicked into place, as if it was meant to be there. “I’ll do it.”

 

Redeem Kylo Ren to the Light? That had been her mission all along. Every kiss they shared, she had been trying her hardest to bring Ben Solo back. To extinguish the monster that took the place of the loving boy whom she once loved. 

 

“It’s established, then.” she said. “I’ll stay here and wait for him to come. Go quickly, Luke.”

 

Luke grabbed her shoulder, his eyes conflicted. “Rey, you don’t have to do this.”

 

_ Well, I sort of do,  _ she thought. “I have to,” she said, “for Ben.”

 

Luke nodded, knowing that she could not be swayed out of her decision. But it hurt him, to practically hand her over to Ben. She was like his daughter, and he would never stop caring for her. Her past on Jakku, her waiting for a family, all the sorrow that he had been responsible for. He knew exactly what it felt like; waiting for a family that would never come. 

 

All the while, he projected his own thoughts into Rey’s brain, asking silently for her forgiveness. 

 

“Don’t worry Luke,” said Rey, “I was never angry at you in the first place.”

 

Satisfied, Luke walked onto the Falcon, and prepared to leave. As the ramp rose, he turned around to gaze at Rey for one more time. 

 

What a strong woman she had become. 

 

The Falcon zoomed into the distance, turning into naught but a speck. 

 

_ May the Force be with you, Rey,  _ said Luke. 

 

Rey wordlessly nodded, happy to have her master’s blessing. With the absence of the starship, the planet went back to the uncomfortable silence that it had been before she arrived. Sitting on the ground, she crossed her legs and began to meditate. 

 

Using the Force, she called out to the one person who would always answer her. Would always be there for her, an anchor in her life. 

 

_ Kylo,  _ she said,  _ come and get me.  _

 

\---------------------------------

 

_ Kylo, _

 

It hit him hard, causing him to flinch. This was the first time she had started a conversation since she had left him. Her presence, full of Light, hit him harder than a train. He nearly drowned in her love and her beauty. 

 

_ Come and get me.  _

 

A smile slowly formed on his lips. So, she was getting ready to fight? Truthfully, he had wanted to test her power once more. 

 

_ I would,  _ he said back,  _ if I knew where you were.  _

 

Immediately, images flooded into his brain. Green, endless amounts of it that made him feel sick. Eerie silence, tall trees and soft grass. A ruined city, a clear sky. And finally, coordinates. 

 

_ I’m coming,  _ he said. 

 

_ I know.  _ was her only response. Really? Was Rey just waiting to get captured? Maybe she was finally willing to take her rightful place once more. But her past betrayal would not go unpunished. 

 

“Set the course for the Unknown Region, eastern sector,” he said. 

 

“But sir,” said a knight, “were we not making a pathway for the western sector?”

 

The man barely finished his words before Kylo force-threw him into the wall, the thud of his body proving a warning to all. 

 

“Any other questions?” he asked, daring his minions to question him. 

 

No more followed, and the pilots immediately changed their course. They might not know why their leader changed course so suddenly, but they did know his power and easily-provoked temper. Without a word, the ship turned to the direction of his prize. 

 

It felt like an eternity, while in reality it was naught but a short journey to Rey. A planet finally came into view. It was a blend of colors; yellow mixing with green, brown, and various emerald-shades of blue. 

 

Versatile, changing, unstable. Like himself. And Rey. 

 

As the ships dropped closer to the surface of the planet, Rey’s Force signature grew stronger, digging into his mind with great strength. Had she gotten stronger? It felt like she did. 

 

She came into view; standing in a large clearing. He could make out her figure, sitting peacefully on the ground. Her face no doubt was fixated on his ships, but it felt like she was staring into his own soul. 

 

When they finally landed, Rey was still sitting in the same position she had been in when she came into view. The door to the starship opened, and Kylo stood ready to depart. 

 

When the ramp finally lifted, there she was. 

 

Even as the smoke rose from the ship, she did not rise nor cease her serene smile. Even as the stormtroopers surrounded her, their blasters raised, she did not flinch. Even as Kylo walked outward to her, her eyes never left his. They bore into his very soul, burning him with passionate fire yet drowning him with subtle power. 

 

Neither of them spoke. The planet was eerily silent; devoid of all life except the those in the clearing. They stood silent for so long, that the stormtroopers began shuffling their feet, confused at the lack of speech. 

 

Rey broke the silence first. She stood up, stretching out her sore muscles; proof of how long she had been sitting. The stormtroopers followed her actions with their blasters, ready to shoot when needed. 

 

“It’s good to see you again, Ben,” said Rey, softly. She had a gentle smile on her face, and she gazed at him with a loving expression. 

  
“Ben is dead,” Kylo growled, angered at Rey’s name choices. 

 

“Oh no,” laughed Rey, “he’s still here.” She walked closer to him, steadily and composed. Would she attack?

 

Rather, she lightly tapped his chest. “He’s in here, Kylo. Ben is within you.” 

 

Time stood still. Her hand still rested on his chest, light yet supportive. It felt good, so warm and comforting. He grabbed her hand tightly in his own, feeling the difference between his cold ones and her warm ones. 

 

“No, Ben is gone forever,” he said. “Will you be coming with me quietly? Or do I have to bring you by force?”

 

Shaking her head, Rey stepped back from him, separating their hands. “No need to fight. I’ll go quietly.”

 

“Good.” Satisfied that he would not have to hurt her, he grabbed her shoulders and began guiding her towards his ship, happy to have her finally once again in his grasp. The stormtroopers followed him onto the ship, happy that there was no bloodshed. 

 

It was like a dream. Rey had come back; willingly. Kylo held his breath, still not believing that she was finally in his hands again. Was this all a trap? Would he be ambushed by Resistance ships now?

 

The moment the ship entered hyperspace and was en route to the First Order base, Kylo let out a sigh of relief. 

 

No hesitation, no words nor actions. He grabbed Rey, pulled of his helmet, and promptly kissed her. 

 

Why wasn’t she resisting his kiss? Why was she accepting it, not attempting to push him off with all her strength? Where were her kicks, her punches, her insults and curses? Why wasn’t she crying, sobbing, pleading for Kylo to stop his relentless and passionate embrace?

 

He wanted her to suffer. Wanted her to feel pain; pain that he had felt every day after her betrayal. 

 

He pulled away from her, waiting for her to try and attack him. But rather, she stood where he left her after his passionate attack, silent with bitten and raw lips. 

 

“There are no emotions,” she said, “there is only peace.”

 

Hah. She was still trying to keep to the Jedi code? Had she still not embraced the darkness inside of her? It was still there, as strong as ever. On the outside, she was keeping a calm and composed image. 

 

But through their bond, he felt so much more. Fear; she was afraid of what he would do to her. A strong desire; to kick and punch him. But there was another desire; so strong that it could be taken to be lust. 

 

He smirked, knowing that her spoken words were naught but lies. She needed but one taste of the darkness, and she would soon fall from the light. 

 

Leaning down so he could look into her own eyes, he took her chin in his hands. “You say there are no emotions,” he murmured, satisfied at the way fear flashed into Rey’s eyes. “But try to deny your desire for me. You wanted that kiss, didn't you? You wanted my hands on you; you practically begged me to take you away.”

 

It worked. Faster than he thought possible, Rey pulled away from him, as if burnt by fire. 

 

Right on cue, the starship dropped out of hyperspace and the First Order base could be seen through the windows. Rey turned her head, her jaw wide as she beheld the strength, the giant base of the First Order. 

 

“This could be all yours,” he murmured, edging closer to her. “All this power, the strength to destroy entire planets.”

 

Closer. Almost close enough to breathe on hair. 

 

“Civilizations could bow down,” he said, placing hands on her forearms. “People would  _ beg _ you for mercy.”

 

He was as close as possible to her now; whispering his dark seduction into her ear. He waited for her response; for her to be seduced by such power. He knew her loneliness, her desire for recognition. How lonely. 

 

“No.” said Rey. She turned her head to gaze up at him, a sneer on her beautiful face. “I want none of that, Kylo Ren.”

 

Visibly startled, Kylo glanced down at her. She was stronger than he thought. How did she resist him? He had delved into her weaknesses, exploited her fears.  

 

“All I want,” started Rey, sounding unsure. 

 

“Tell me what you want,” Kylo breathed, sensing that he was close to his goal. “A new planet-destroyer, an army, anything.”

  
Rey shook her head at his words. “All I want,” she said, “is for Ben Solo to finally come home.”


	39. Chapter 39

Looking into Rey’s hazel eyes, wide and innocent, he sensed something happen. Something  _ changed _ inside of him. 

 

For a split second, the smallest amount of time, a tiny part of his soul had wanted to go home with her. To run away from the evil he had helped to procure, to flee far away from the treacherous reach of Snoke. 

 

“Sir,” said a pilot, “we’ve gained permission to dock.”

 

Kylo stood up, straightening his shoulders. The spell was broken; his wavering moment of weakness gone. 

 

“Good. Pull in.” he commanded. 

 

Rey was still looking up at him, sadness in her eyes. Well, what did she expect? That he would throw all of his belongings here behind and just leave with her?

 

The ship slowly guided into the hangar bay, all the soldiers and workers immediately saluting the giant ship of their commander. The ramp opened, and the pilots and stormtroopers systematically filed out, leaving just Kylo and Rey. 

 

“It would be so easy,” she said, “for us to just leave now. To take this ship, and fly far away. Forever.” She grabbed his hand, and Kylo glanced down at their intertwined hands. 

 

“Please, Ben,” she begged, her voice taking on a desperate tone. “Just leave with me. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, feeling the darkness in his heart fight against her light. A part of him screamed for him to take her hand, to run to the pilot’s controls and fly far away. But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. “I can’t, Rey. This,” he gestured to the First Order base, “is my home.”

 

Rey looked broken, the sadness in her eyes absolute. “Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of time to convince you otherwise.”

 

He still held her arm in his grip, tight. Almost painfully tight. 

 

Was she planning to leave him again? Desert him once more? He saw red in his vision; pure anger. He gripped her wrist even tighter, satisfied when she winced at his possessive hold. 

 

“I will not be convinced,” he hissed. “Your new home is here. Forget about your friends, about the traitors you left behind.” Without another word, he led, more like dragged, her down the ramp and into the base. 

 

\--------------------------

 

Rey finally realized just how unstable Kylo was. One second he was close to eloping with her, and in the next he was gripping her arm painfully tight. Well, he still was. 

 

Once again, Rey found herself being dragged through the eerily similar First Order hallways. Endless seas of black, grey, and white. Strobing lights, pristine floors and walls. 

 

“Where am I being kept this time?” Rey asked. She was genuinely curious. Would it be a prison cell?

 

Without answering her, Kylo pushed her into a room. 

 

Why was it always this room? No matter which corner of the universe she fled to, she always found herself in Kylo’s private quarters. She practically had everything memorized; the curve of the chairs to the details on the wardrobe’s door. 

 

“Get out of those robes,” said Kylo. “Your old robes are in the wardrobe.”

 

Ugh. Rey hated the dark Sith robes. They were like poison, burning and corrupting her skin. Knowing that Kylo wouldn’t allow her to remain in her current clothes, Rey took the clothes off the racks and walked into the bathroom to change. 

 

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit she looked good. The robes fit her so perfectly, fitting but also flaring. 

 

She felt comfortable in them. Felt comfortable in the darkness. She felt powerful, felt like a  _ lord _ .

 

No! What were these thoughts she was having? Shaking her head to clear it, she instead stepped out of the bathroom. Her lightsaber still lay clipped on her belt; and she was surprised at the fact that Kylo had not yet confiscated it. 

 

Kylo gazed at her with a calculating look when she stepped out of the bathroom. 

 

“You know,” he began, “you don’t have to turn away the darkness. Just embrace it.”

 

Oh. He definitely heard her inner conflict from the bathroom. “I’m not going to become like you,” she said. “I’ll never turn to the dark side.” she hissed the last few words, sounding more animalistic than a human. Like a monster. 

 

Kylo arched his eyebrow at her hissing response. For now, he would allow for Rey to lie to herself. Soon, she would realize the true power of the darkness. 

 

“Follow me.” He walked out of the room, looking back to make sure Rey wouldn’t attempt to escape. 

 

Rey crossed her arms, unmoving. “Where are we going?”

 

“Don’t you want to try out that new shiny toy of hers?” 

 

Huh. So Kylo had noticed her new lightsaber. Why didn’t he confiscate it? She didn’t care. Her fingers itched to hold it, to twirl it in a majestic dance of death and yellow power. So, she followed him. 

 

She knew where they were headed even before they arrived. Where else would she be able to fight?

 

And sure enough, the arena rose into view. But this time, unlike the others, it was empty. As if sensing her uneasiness, Kylo smirked.  “Don’t worry. I had something hurriedly planned before you came,” he said. 

 

Kylo turned to head up the stairs, and Rey attempted to follow, unsure of what she should do. 

 

“No, Rey,” Kylo said as he turned. He pointed, and Rey followed the direction of his finger to stare at the empty arena. “You’ll be in there.” Finished talking, Kylo walked up the stairs. Following his instructions, Rey walked into the arena. 

 

It was massive; seeming even larger with the absence of the knights. Where was everyone? Kylo himself was seated in one of the spectator’s seats, gazing intently at her. 

 

“Well,” she said, loudly so that her voice could be heard. “Who am I fighting?”

 

The hum of a lightsaber made her turn her head abruptly. Standing in the doorway of one of the entrances, a knight had managed to walk in without alerting her to their presence. 

 

No, not a he. It was a she. The knight removed her hood, freeing her brunette locks and allowing Rey to gaze upon her pale face. The knight reminded Rey of herself, lost and unsure. 

 

“So,” snarled the knight, waving her red lightsaber in a perfectly executed motion. “You’re the traitor?” Her voice was cold, her mouth contorted into a sneer. Her eyes were dead-set, glaring at Rey with intense hatred. 

 

“Rey,” said Kylo, from his seat above. “You’ll have to fight for your title again. This is the woman who took your place. Who claimed to be more powerful than you.”

 

“Yes master,” hissed the knight, her eyes cold and calculating. “I will prove my worth!”

 

The knight immediately launched an attack towards Rey, her red lightsaber coming down in a deadly arc. This was not a friendly sparring session. This was a fight to the death. 

 

Would Kylo really let her be killed? 

 

She barely dodged the attack, rolling onto the sandy ground to escape death. Knowing that this was a life or death situation, Rey quickly ignited her own lightsaber, the dual yellow blades humming. 

 

From above, she could hear Kylo’s breath hitch in surprise. The corners of her lips twitched. Good. Not what he expected, was it?

 

Even her opponent paused, gazing warily at the deadly. The tables had turned. Smiling openly, Rey swung her lightsaber, shifting her stance into an offense. 

 

This time, she initiated the attack. Her blades twirled, faster than light itself. She lost herself in this dance; her feet moving of her own accord. Her hands guiding themselves. 

 

Was it a fight or a performance? It was barely even a test of endurance. Her opponent barely had time to deflect each strike, fear evident in her eyes. 

 

This was the woman who took her place as the Lady of the knights? Who claimed to be more powerful, stronger than her? Rey snarled, angered that such a weakling claimed to be her equal. She would learn her lesson. She would be a warning to all others who dared to oppose her, to walk between her and victory. 

 

Her feet dragged elegantly on the sandy ground. She didn’t walk, she danced. She was not a fighter, but a performer. More elegant than the daintiest ballerina but sharper than the acutest sword. Brighter than the sun, darker than death itself. 

 

Rey laughed, a sound of pure joy. She was Lady Rey, the wielder of the deadly double-edged lightsaber. People feared her name, people would bow down to her power. Cities would be engulfed by her darkness. Widows would be made, orphans would be created under her power. 

 

Her moves became more absolute. She would jump in the air, fly on the ground, sail effortlessly away from her opponent’s desperate defenses. 

 

Faster, quicker, stronger. Closer, to victory!

 

Let her enemies cry! Let their blood water the ground; their tears flood the universe. She was to be feared. She was to be honored. She was not to be denied!

 

Her attacks quickened, she spun faster, her blades whizzing so fast that their colors blurred; surrounding Rey in a giant fan of yellow. 

 

And thus, Rey found herself holding her blade to the neck of her opponent. They were on the ground, the poor knight unsure of her fate. 

 

Her breathing was hard, her mouth turned up into a snarl. She was growling, more like an animal than a human. 

 

“Please,” whispered the knight. Her eyes had lost all coldness, now instead focusing on Rey’s lightsaber with fear and awe. 

 

“Do it, Rey.”

 

Kylo’s voice rang clearly throughout the arena. Full of power; commanding. Yes, she should do it. She should  _ kill _ this worthless human being; should show the world her strength! Armies would fall at a single snap of her wrist! One swipe of her lightsaber would cause untold destruction!

 

Then, like a lifted spell, she snapped back to reality. 

 

What was she doing? Was she seriously about to kill this helpless human? 

 

Strong arms wrapped around her, hands entwined with her own on the handle of her lightsaber. She could feel Kylo’s hot breath on her neck. When had he gotten down here?

 

“Do it,” he whispered in her ear. “Show me your power!”

 

“No,” said Rey, starting to cry. “I can't! This isn’t who I am!” The tears were running quickly down her cheek, rivers of sorrow and helplessness. 

 

“Then,” hissed Kylo, “you are still weak.”

 

Kylo’s hands pushed down on her own, ending the knight’s life. The poor woman didn’t even have an opportunity to defend herself, her scream quickly cut off by Rey’s lightsaber. 

 

“No!” screamed Rey, throwing her lightsaber away to try and  save the knight form the cold grip of death. It was an impossible task. The knight’s eyes were glazed over with death, her lips still opened in a fearful gasp. The dark slice in her throat oozed with blood, absorbed by the sandy ground. 

 

“You did this, Rey,” said Kylo, still whispering his dark seduction. “You ended her life.” His fingers swept unto the sandy floor, and wiped up some of the blood. “This blood, is on your hands.”

 

His fingers went to her lips, smearing the viscous liquid onto them. She was still in shock, unable to scream or to protest. 

 

She had just killed someone. 

 

It was the first time, in her entire life, that she had ended another life. Yes, during her days on Jakku, her staff had caused many people great pain. But never, ever, had she ended the light of another soul. 

 

Except for now. The knight, whose name she didn’t even know, seemed to glare at her with their dead eyes. Condemning her, labeling her a murderer. 

 

What had she done?

 

Kylo brought his face close to hers, his chest still pressing on her back. 

 

They kissed, for real this time. Rey could taste the blood; the iron and bitter taste of it intermingling on both their tongues. Her tears soon joined in, hot rivers of it pouring down her face. 

 

_ Oh yes,  _ groaned Kylo, licking at her tears. Lust roared inside him, a surging dragon.  _ Give me all your sadness.  _

 

She  _ hated  _ him in that moment. But she also  _ loved _ him with all her heart. 

 

Why did it seem that she was failing her mission? Rather than bringing the light back into Ben, it seemed that Kylo was more successful dragging her into darkness. 

 

But was Kylo at fault for dragging her into darkness? Or was she to blame? While she was fighting, she had lost all control of who she was. She had been fueled with passion, hate, so many emotions that she should’ve banned as a Jedi. 

 

A little part of her wanted to be Lady Rey again. To have the power to control the knights, to be known as the harbinger of death. To forever be with Kylo, to rule the galaxy with him together. 

 

“You fought well,” whispered Kylo, holding her close to him. They both collapsed on the floor, and Rey allowed Kylo t hug her, lost in her tears. “I’m proud of you. You used your emotions; and you felt the power of the darkness.”   
  


Rey wept even harder, and grabbed onto Kylo’s robes with all her strength.

 

“No, you are not a Jedi, my love.”   


 

Rey lost herself in her tears, crying even harder at Kylo’s words. 

 

“You’re a Sith,” he said. 

 

Rey stopped crying. One thing was for sure. 

 

“I,” she said, bringing her teary eyes to stare into Kylo’s. “Will never be like you.” She glared at him with all her strength, projecting hatred and anger. 

  
Kylo, unaffected, instead smiled. “We’ll see. You’re already halfway there.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!!!
> 
> in this chapter i finally gain the 'mature' rating
> 
> SEXUAL THEMES AND DUBIOUS CONSENT

With Rey in his lap, Kylo felt complete. 

 

He had no idea what she had done during the battle. Through the Force, he had felt her power; so raw and delicious. Fueled by passion and rage, something so great that he had nearly crumbled at his knees in surrender. 

 

She had radiated power. The pure vision of energy, the true manifestation of the Force. Finally; she was living up to her namesake. She had finally tapped into the true power of the Darkness, had given into her emotions.  

 

“What was that?” Rey asked softly, her head still buried in her hands. Her hands trembled, but her sobs had ceased. 

 

“That,” he said, brushing the hair off of her face, “was pure power. The true Darkness.” He leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, taking her hands away from her face. “I’m proud of you, you did a great job.”

 

Rey glanced at him with a disgusted expression. “What, proud of me for killing a defenseless human?”

 

“No. You didn’t kill her. Technically I did,” said Kylo, shaking his head. He had been so disappointed, angered at the fact that she was still too weak to take a life. “I’m proud at how you used your emotions.”

 

“Well,” said Rey, angrily crossing her arms across her shoulders like a grumpy child. “I’m not proud at all. I killed someone Kylo; with my own hands!” Grabbing onto his cloak like an anchor, she gazed up at him with sad eyes. 

 

They were still beautiful, hazel-colored and full of light. But they had lost all innocence. 

 

“Tell me you didn’t enjoy it,” he hissed, curling her hand within his own. “Tell me you didn’t love that power, didn’t crave for more of it.”   
  


Instead of responding, Rey closed her eyes, staying silent. What was she doing? Curious, Kylo dug into her waiting head. 

 

_ They were young children in this scene, still peaceful. Why did everything lead back to their old memories? _

 

_ In the corner of the small room crouched a small figure. Judging by the three signature buns on the top of its head, it was Rey. Still a child, untrained in the Force. Her shoulders shook, effects of her crying.  _

 

_ Another pair of feet joined the image, bigger than Rey’s.  _

 

_ No doubt it was him.  _

 

_ “Hey,” he heard himself say, his voice higher than it currently was. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” His hands went up, repositioning Rey’s arms so her face was visible.  _

 

_ Rey sniffled again, wiping snot that was slowly trailing down her face to mix with the tears. “Jaina teased me again.” Another wipe with her sleeve. “She said I wasn’t a Jedi.” But that wasn’t the worst part. Rey turned her eyes to look at Ben. “She said I was a Sith!” Rey’s eyes widened at the last word, in disgust but also curiosity.  _

 

_ “Oh, don’t listen to Jaina, Rey,” Ben said, hugging Rey closer. “Of course you’re not a Sith.” _

 

_ Immediately, Rey’s face brightened, lighter than the sun. “Really? You think so?” _

 

_ “Yes. In fact, I know that one day you’ll be the most powerful Jedi ever,” said Ben, teasing Rey and tickling her nose. She erupted in giggles, her sadness gone.  _

 

_ “More powerful than uncle Luke?” asked Rey, all at once too serious. Ben gulped, not knowing what he had gotten himself into, and unsure how to answer her question.  _

 

_ “No doubt!” he said, this time grabbing Rey’s ears and tickling them. “I just hope you’ll have a better sense of fashion than him!” Rey laughed, and shooed away Ben’s hands.  _

 

_ “Thanks, Bennie,” she said, wiping off the rest of her tears with her sleeve. “I really needed that.”  _

 

_ Ben stood up, and offered his hand down to Rey. “Now, my lady,” he said, erupting Rey into more laughter, “I must escort you to the feast.” He pulled Rey up, wiping off some tear stains on her cheeks.  _

 

_ Both of them, side by side, left the image, no doubt to go to the dining hall.  _

 

Kylo pulls himself out of the vision, so abruptly that he finds himself falling onto his behind. 

 

That incident was so, so, long ago. 

 

The way he had called her a Jedi, banished her ideologies as a Sith, was pure irony. If tiny Ben had known where he would end up, as Kylo Ren, such words would never had been said. 

 

The irony was not lost on Rey either. She was smirking, glad at how it was affecting him. Just by the reflection in her eyes, he knew that his own face held an expression of wonder and confusion. 

 

“Well,” he said, standing up and gathering his mixed feelings into presentable thoughts. “Foolish Ben thought wrong.” He walked back over to Rey, gently pulling her up into his arms. “You won’t ever be a Jedi.”   
  


Rey arched her left eyebrow, no doubt surprised. “We’ll see. Maybe I won’t ever be a Jedi. But maybe, you won’t always be a Sith.”

 

Was she still trying to sway him back to the light? Her pitiful tries were now getting somewhat annoying. 

 

He grabbed her arm, tightly enough to cause her pain. Rey winced, feeling the familiar bruise on her wrist clench painfully. “There is no more light,” he hissed. “I vanquished it all; and replaced it with darkness.”

 

“So,” she drawled, “you don’t even have a speck of light in you? Nothing at all.”

 

“Correct, sweetheart,” he said. 

 

She leaned closer to him, her lips mere centimeters from his own. His eyes focused on them, the way their plumpness combined ever so perfectly into nice and firm tools of temptation. 

 

“Then show me,” she said. 

 

His eyes still on her lips, he said, “gladly. Anything you want, my love.” He grabbed her wrist, dragging her roughly out of the arena. She stumbled behind, shocked at his sudden change in demeanor. 

 

Back through the hallways they walked, passing stormtroopers and random lieutenants. All did a double take, shocked at the new captive of the First Order. 

 

It had taken Kylo Ren longer than expected to find her again. 

 

Finally reaching his chambers, Kylo opened the door and roughly pushed Rey in. 

 

“Oh, this is what you were going to show me? I’ve seen this all be-”

 

Kylo roughly stopped Rey’s speech with a passionate kiss. No, he was not gentle. He invaded her mouth, exploring every crevice and every smooth curve of her flesh and teeth. Even in passion, even while lost to the clutches of lust, Kylo Ren was a conqueror. Rey would soon be his newest conquest. 

 

Surprisingly, she kissed back, just as hungry as he.

 

Her hands were clutching the back of his cloak, her nails digging sharply into the fabric. Tiny mewling sounds escaped from her mouth between their sloppy kisses. United as one, their ragged breaths filled the room with the sound of passion in motion. 

 

Oh, he had been expecting to conquer a crying Rey, to convince her of his full turn to the darkness. But a hungry Rey, a Rey already halfway lost to the darkness, was even better. 

 

Somehow, he knew not how, they ended up on the bed. Even on a horizontal plane, their kisses still remained hungry. 

 

“Rey,” he paused, panting to fill his lungs with much-needed air. “Are you sure you want to do this? Do you really want me?”

 

Wait, why was he asking? No! He was supposed to show her his power! He was not to be denied! Why was he acting like a love-sick puppy?

 

“Yes,” panted Rey. “I want it!” Her hands shot up, and he attempted to fall back, scared that she was trying to attack him in this vulnerable state. But her fingers grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. Their eyes were inches from each other, and he could see the lust and passion in Rey’s. “Give it to me!” she practically hissed.

 

“I will follow your orders,” he smirked, “my queen.”

 

He quickly kissed her again, wanting more. After all, time talking was time wasted. Why weren’t his clothes off yet? His hands tore at his cloak and his shirt, multitasking while he was still engaged in a battle of lips with Rey. 

 

Rey’s hands roamed down to his chest, tracing over his sculpted chest. Like a god he seemed to be; the image of virility and strength. 

 

And not to mention, pure hotness. 

 

Rey tried to remove her own robes, blindly groping for buttons or zippers. Frustrated noises escaped her mouth, and Kylo quickly zipped her out of her robes. She pushed the clumsy fabric out of the way, and it fell to the floor with a soft thump. 

 

Her trousers were next to go. He pushed them quickly down to the floor. His own lower wear soon shortly followed. 

 

Now, their bare midriffs touched, bumping against each other as they collided onto the bed in an explosion of passion. 

 

Her breasts were still wrapped up, pushed against her chests. A little bit of cleavage poked out, tempting him. 

 

His cock twitched, and he began to harden. 

 

Almost knowing exactly what he was thinking, Rey reached up to begin to remove her bindings. Halfway there, she paused. 

 

What was wrong? Kylo looked down at her with concern, wondering if she was about to back out. 

 

An evil grin spread across her face. She grabbed his hand, and guided it to land upon her soft left breast. “You do it, Kylo.” She looked at him with a seductive look, her teeth biting into her lip. 

 

Slowly, trying his hardest not to practically rip the fabric apart, Kylo removed her chest bindings, peeling away layer after layer. 

 

It was mathematically, really. With every layer that came off, his cock hardened. 

 

Finally, it was all gone, and Kylo was rewarded with his prize. 

 

They were beautiful, so beautiful that he nearly came right there. Round, sculpted perfectly from an artist’s hands. He took them in his hands, groaning at how  _ right _ they felt. Molded perfectly to shape into his own large hands, soft yet firm and supportive. 

 

“Your turn,” whispered Rey, her eyes still full of lust. 

 

Smiling, Kylo knew exactly what she wanted him to do. He slowly inched his boxers down, as slow as possible. He grinned in satisfaction when Rey hissed with annoyance at his slow movements. 

 

Finally, he freed his erection. He had been hard, so hard that it almost hurt. 

 

His cock practically sprang out of his boxers, standing straight to attention, like a warrior. 

 

Rey gasped, audibly gasped. He was huge! Yes, she had never seen the male organ before, but she knew enough to know that Kylo was quite heavily gifted. She tentatively reached out to grasp it. 

 

Grinding his hips forward, Kylo moaned in ecstasy as Rey’s fingers finally collided with his cock. 

 

It was better than he dreamed. Better than all of his masturbation sessions in the wet shower, dreamless nights under the covers. She held him softly, with her warm fingers, and he grew even more hard. 

 

“Yes,” he groaned. “Give me more.”

 

With Rey’s hands still wrapped around his male organ, he slowly began to remove her last article of clothing, inching it down her legs slowly, until finally; he stood before him naked. 

 

It was glorious, really. He half expected her to sprout wings and fly away like the angels she was. 

 

So many times he had imagined her naked in all her glory. So many times he had gazed at her robes, angered that they were able to touch her most intimate places while he had to grow more frustrated with each passing day. 

 

Her face held the strongest expression of lust he had ever seen. All those women before her couldn’t even compare, couldn’t hold a candle light next to her roaring flame of passion. 

 

How did she manage to look so unbelievably sexy yet drool-worthily innocent at the same time?

 

He was so close, so close to his goal! He crawled closer to her on the bed, positioning his heavy body above her tiny and fragile one. She was like a doll underneath him, but her flame of passion burned him. 

 

He gently nudged her knees apart slowly, opening her legs to reveal her treasure. She let him, practically lost in her lust. 

 

“Do you want me, Rey?” He growled. “Are you ready?”

 

“Please,” she softly groaned. “Please!”

 

Smirking, he lowered his hand to caress her nubile and young treasure. She was already wet, nearly dripping with natural lubricant. 

 

He slowly inserted his finger, and gasped at how tight she was. Rey gasped right along with him, arching her back at the sudden flow of pleasure that rocked through her body. Was this what she had been missing all her years on Jakku?

 

He finger-fucked her slowly, allowing her to get used to the sensations. When she had loosened up considerably, he added another finger. Then another. 

 

She was groaning with pleasure now, bucking around on the bed. “Yes, Kylo,” she hissed. “Yes! Give it to me!”

 

Rey was loose enough now; her body lost in lust. He brought up his fingers, coated in her juices, and brought it to her mouth. 

 

“Suck it, Rey,” he said. She obeyed him, opening her mouth and swirling her tongue around his fingers to taste herself. She closed her eyes, moaning at the taste. 

 

She was so fucking beautiful. Eyes closed, naked on his bed. 

 

Taking his cock into his hands, he guided it to her entrance. He touched her outer lips, and rubbed over her clit to make her gasp in pleasure. Even just the feel of her juices on his cock caused him to throw his head back in pleasure. 

 

Slowly, gently, he guided himself in. 

 

Just the head of his cock was in, but it was unbelievably and mind blowingly pleasurable. So warm, so inviting, so delicious. He moved in slowly, gently enough to cause Rey no pain. Finally, he hit her barrier. 

 

Rey lay still, afraid of the pain that would accompany the loss of her virtue. 

 

“Don’t worry,” he whispered, kissing her on the neck. “I’ll be gentle.”

 

Kylo thrust his hips forward in a sudden motion, breaking Rey’s hymen. She cried out in pain, and Kylo hurt to know that he caused her to scream. But if he had gone slowly; she would have been cursing his name. 

 

He wasn’t even fully in yet. Sweat formed on his forehead at the pure effort of holding himself back. All he wanted to fuck Rey, to drive himself deep into her and lose himself in her warmth. 

 

But he had to stay still. Already, Rey’s body was loosening, her walls relaxing to accommodate him. Rey’s hisses of pain slowly turned into soft moans of something else. Pleasure was slowly overriding the feelings of pain, wiping away all her resistance.  

 

He inched in slowly, trying his hardest not to go through with one smooth thrust. Inch by inch, Rey took his cock. Until, finally, he was buried hilt-deep. 

 

He shuddered, feeling unusual at how  _ alive  _ he felt. 

 

So warm, so nice and soft and pleasurable. Through his cock, his entire body filled with pleasure, until he felt almost numb. 

 

What was Rey feeling? He edged closer into her mind, feeling her emotions as his own. 

 

_ Oh, it felt so good! _

 

_ She wanted more of it, more of this delicious pleasure. Moaning, she tangled her legs and pulled Kylo closer to her.  _

 

“More,” she moaned. “Go deeper!”

 

Happy that she wasn’t in pain, Kylo followed her wishes. He began to slowly thrust into her, gasping with pleasure. Her vaginal walls rubbed against his cock on each thrust; the friction bringing him closer and closer to a climax. 

 

_ She moved with him, groaning along with him. With each of his strong thrusts, she edged closer and closer to satisfaction.  _

 

_ Why wasn’t he going faster? _

 

Grinning at Rey’s passion, Kylo followed her wishes. He thrust faster and faster, his pace increasing. His breath grew more rapid, more needy. 

 

The friction increased, the pleasure increasing tenfold.He swore that she was so tight it hurt, her tight pussy seeming to milk his cock. 

 

He didn’t close his eyes like he normally did during a good fuck. He kept them open, looking deep into Rey’s eyes. 

 

_ Faster, faster! _

 

His hips bucked forward at an impossible speed. Wet sounds filled the air, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh reverberating across the walls. Their bodies moved with each of his thrusts, the force of it sending them over the edge. 

 

_ Yes, yes! YES! _

 

Finally, gripping her hips, Kylo thrust into her one more time before spilling himself inside of her. 

 

Stream after stream of his hot cum splashed inside of her. He felt like he had been emptying himself for hours; all of his pent-up lust finally being spent. 

 

She climaxed along with him, her body jerking as she rode each wave of pleasure. This was new to her; the first and strongest orgasm of her life. It lasted for a few moments, but in her pleasure, it felt like a wonderful eternity. 

 

Both of them finally collapsed, spent. 

 

“I’m sorry,” whispered Kylo in her ear. He brushed strands of hair off of her sweaty forehead. "I didn't want it to hurt."

 

“Don’t be,” said Rey. 

 

He hugged her close to him, before rolling onto his side and cuddling into the sheets. Their sweaty bodies fit perfectly with each other, her tiny back arching into his strong chest. 

 

They fell into a deep sleep, both of them satisfied. Two souls, yin and yang, finally finding the balance they so wanted and desired. In the darkness, one of them moaned:

  
“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry everyone. couldn't resist writing smut like the REYLO TRASH I AM
> 
> @ PropertyOfThaJoker: you happy? ;)


	41. Chapter 41

It was the first peaceful dream that Kylo Ren had ever since Rey left him. No nightmares, no sweaty awakenings, no pain nor fear. Just lofty peace, silent contentedness. 

 

Rey still slumbered, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, smoother than the ticking of a clock. It was funny, really, how she had been trying to kill him not too long ago before jumping right into his bed. 

 

No, he didn’t fuck her. He made love to her. Love that was long overdue. 

 

Finally, she was entirely his, their mental bond now made physical. But just as she was his, his entire soul now belonged only to her. Snoke could still boss him around; but the power that he held over Kylo couldn’t compare to power that Rey wielded over him. 

 

He stroked her hair, which had fallen out of its three signature buns to cover her bare shoulders. He had never seen it down before; aside from the time he had washed her hair. It wasn’t just a subtle hazelnut brown. There were some gold hairs mixed in, slight shades of yellow. 

 

A beeping sound disturbed him from his thinking. 

 

It was his alarm clock; 7:30 blazing on it with deep, red, digits. Groaning, he knew that it was time to wake up, time to emerge from the comfortable bed he shared with Rey. 

 

“Rey,” he softly whispered. She didn’t respond, still sound asleep. He started gently kissing her neck, trailing up to her sensitive earlobe, bouncing it around with his teeth. Groaning, Rey grudgingly woke up. 

 

“Whaaat?” She mumbled wearily. 

 

“We need to get up,” said Kylo. “The day’s about to start.”

 

Nothing. Rey had gone right back to sleep. Sighing at her deep slumbering, Kylo threw the sheets off of himself, pulled on some slippers and a robe, and made for the bathroom. 

 

He didn’t have to shut the door. It wasn’t like Rey hadn’t seen it all already. Shirtless, he walked to the sink, splashing his face with cold water. It hit him hard; effectively waking him up from a sleepy daze. 

 

Picking up the bottle of mouth purifier, he swished it around in his mouth. Pearly white teeth were one of his biggest desires. Dragging a comb through his hair, he washed his hands before heading out to get changed. 

 

It was ingenious of the First Order to have uniforms. It spared him the effort of having to choose an outfit every day. The same old black cloak, dark trousers, and more. 

 

All ready and dressed, he turned around. Ready to bark a command at his new lover, (ahem, apprentice) he waited for her obedience. 

 

Nope. Rey was still asleep. How was she such a heavy sleeper? He walked back to the bed, poking Rey on the nose. He was rewarded with a slight flinch; but nothing more. 

 

Annoyed at her inactivity, he resolved to drag her. Hooking his arms under her armpits, he dragged her up out of the bed. 

 

Immediately, he was rewarded with a punch to the face. Well, she was awake.

 

Rey, although having punched Kylo in the face, was still groggy. Stumbling, she nearly ran into the wall. 

 

“Easy there,” said Kylo, catching her before she could do any more damage to herself or him. She blinked at him with confused eyes, still attempting to wake herself up. To help her, he guided her towards the bathroom before gently shutting the door. 

 

“Ugghhh,” he heard her groan through the door. “What time is it?” she asked. “The middle of the fucking night?”

 

“No,” he said, “it’s 7:30.”

 

“So, basically, the middle of the night.”

 

The sound of running water finally broke the silence, and Kylo knew that she was making herself look presentable. 5 minutes later, she finally emerged. “Do you have any hair ties?” she asked. 

 

“No,” said Kylo. It wasn’t like general Hux stored hair ties in all the commanders’ bathrooms. “Just keep your hair down.” At his words, Rey’s lips immediately curled in disgust. “Besides,” he continued, “it looks good like that.”

 

Shrugging at his words, Rey made her way to a nearby wardrobe. “Well, are there any clothes for me to wear? Or do I have to parade through the First Order naked?”

 

Oh, he had noticed her lack of clothing. Her slender legs were bare, the smooth skin a beautiful tan. Her chest was muscular, but just as smooth as her legs. 

 

She shuffled through the clothes, finally finding the female version of Kylo’s. She dragged it on, and shivered at the lack of outerwear. To Kylo’s surprise, she immediately pulled out Kylo’s spare coat and put it on. 

 

At the sight of Rey in his large, oversized suit, Kylo lost it. 

 

Laughing, he gripped his knees for support as he wheezed and coughed. She was just so tiny in the coat; like a little mouse pretending to be a lion. It was a while before he evened himself out to gaze back at Rey. 

 

“Can I wear it?” asked Rey, her eyes hopeful. The coat hung way past her shoulders, and dragged a bit on the floor. 

 

“Sure,” said Kylo. “Why not?” It was like a mark of some sorts, an announcement to the entire First Order that she was his and his alone. He liked that idea. 

 

Giggling with happiness, Rey twirled a few times in his coat to test it out. It spun like a dress, an odd motion that Kylo had never seen on his coat. 

 

“What?” said Rey, shooting him an odd glance. “You’ve never seen the way you walk?”

 

“The way I walk?” asked Kylo, arching his eyebrow in confusion. Rey snorted, no doubt amused. “Well,” he said, “show me.”

 

In what he supposed was an insult, Rey placed her hands on her hips in a dominant gesture, an over exaggerated image of confidence. She strode forward across the room in long strides, shaking her hips so his cloak rippled in the air behind him. She turned around at the wall, facing Kylo and striking a fashionable pose. 

 

He laughed again, the sound sounding odd in his own ears. He had forgotten what it was like to laugh; to give into the emotions of happiness and to lose himself in love. To cast all the dark thoughts on his mind aside, and focus on the good things in life. 

 

“See?” said Rey gently, her eyes gentle. “The Light is still inside of you.”

 

Kylo opened his mouth to debate her opinion, trying to find an excuse for his laughter. But he couldn’t find it. 

 

Yes, in that one instant, he had replaced the darkness for the light. But it was just a split second, too short to mean anything. But it was a weakness nonetheless. Snoke would help him. 

 

_ Kylo Ren,  _ said a voice that snuck into his mind.  _ Report to me. _

 

Snoke was calling. He would recognize that signature hissing and cold voice in any part of the universe. 

 

_ And bring your new captive.  _

 

Immediately, Kylo protectively gripped Rey’s arm, hard. Snoke wanted to see Rey? What would he do? Fear ran through him, sharp and distrustful. 

 

Wait, did he just question his master? Did he just fear the darkness? Kylo shook his head, ridding himself of all other conflicting emotions. 

 

“What’s wrong?” asked Rey, her face a bright shining sun of innocence. So beautiful, pure, and untouched. 

 

“My Master,” said Kylo, choosing his words carefully, “wants to see us.”

 

The word  _ us _ took time to sink into Rey’s brain. She was going to see Snoke. Greet the monster that had caused so much pain and hurt. What should she do? Try and kill him? 

 

“No,” said Kylo. “You can’t kill him.” His eyes turned down, onto the floor. He hated to admit it, but he was fearful of Rey’s reaction. “He’s too powerful.”

 

“So,” said Rey slowly. “I have to grovel at his feet for my survival?” She sounded calm, but Kylo knew that there was a huge storm brewing inside of her. One part of her wanted to live, knew that survival was the key. But another part of her wanted to fight, wanted to strike back. 

 

Kylo admired her first part, but found that her fighting spirit was what made her truly beautiful. 

 

“Just survive for now, okay?” he said, squeezing her shoulders affectionately. “Don’t give him any excuse to kill you.” Through the squeeze, he tried to keep calm. But inside, he was so scared. There were so many things that Snoke could do to harm her. Torture images flashed through his mind, and he flinched when they passed through his bond with Rey. 

 

“Don’t worry about me,” she said. Smiling, she gently caressed Kylo’s cheek with her hand. “I’ll be fine. Just watch over yourself for now.”

 

Even in the face of danger, she was still beauty and grace. Her light still shone in this place of darkness, a beacon of hope. 

 

Nodding, he swallowed his fear. But all it did was lodge closer to his heart. 

 

She was the first to walk out of the chamber, leaving a surprised Kylo behind. Wasn’t he the man in this pair?

 

“Come on,” she said. “Lead the way.”

 

Nodding, he walked out of the chamber and began to walk the dreaded route. Stormtroopers passed them, along with a litter of miscellaneous droids and other machines. 

 

He had never dreaded going to his master before. Feeling his fear through the bond, Rey reassuringly squeezed his hand. He held onto that warmth, praying for strength. 

 

They arrived at the set of grand doors at last, the two knights opening it immediately for their master and his partner. Cold air whooshed out, and Kylo could feel Rey shiver. He was used to it after so many years. 

 

Kylo walked in, separating his hand from Rey’s before kneeling before his master. To his surprise and satisfaction, Rey followed him, choosing survival over fight. 

 

“So good to see you again, Kylo Ren,” said Snoke. “You too, little girl.” While talking, Snoke ever so lightly skimmed over Kylo’s mind. By the way that Rey shivered, Kylo knew that she felt it too. 

 

“I’m curious, my two apprentices. What is the nature of your bond?” asked Snoke. 

 

“Master, as you know, we have been bonded with-”

 

Kylo was rudely cut off. “Yes, yes,” said Snoke, waving a hand dispassionately, “the Bond of Unity. It allows you to use each other’s powers.” Snoke leaned forward in his giant throne, to better gaze at the two humans at his feet. “What about this Force bond you two have?”

 

Rey didn’t answer. Kylo took the lead. 

 

“I can feel her thoughts, her feelings, and she has access to mine.” said Kylo. After a moment’s hesitation, he continued. “We can make each other feel emotions of happiness.”

 

“So,” said Snoke, coming to a realization. “You can cause each other pain?”

 

Silence. Neither Rey nor Kylo spoke. 

 

“Let’s test it, shall we?” said Snoke in a disturbingly gleeful voice. “Do it, Kylo. Attack her mind, and show her the true pain of the dark side.”

 

_ No,  _ begged Rey through their bond.  _ Please don’t! _

 

Snoke knew that his apprentice was hesitating. “Are you disobeying my orders, Kylo Ren? Do you want me to test it out?”

 

Flinching, Kylo knew what he must do. “I apologize, my Master. I’m merely gathering my strength.”

 

_ I’m so sorry, Rey,  _ he said.  _ I can’t have him hurt you.  _ To his surprise, Rey opened her mind to him, and she took down her walls. 

 

_ Do it, Kylo,  _ she said. There wasn’t even a hint of anger in her voice; just determination and acceptance.  _ Do it!  _ she practically screamed at him; fearful of what Snoke would be able to do. 

 

Bracing himself, he stabbed himself into Rey’s mind, hard enough to satisfy his master. A flinch wouldn’t have been good enough. Nor a mere groan. So when Rey screamed, he knew that Snoke would be happy. 

 

But he wasn’t. 

 

“You’re holding back, my apprentice,” said his master, before extending his own pale and spindly fingers. “Let me show you how it is done.”

 

_ No, no, no! _  was all Rey could say before Snoke launched his attack. 

 

He felt the pain through their bond, the sharp, dull pain. He was feeling it all, every second of it radiating through their bond. He knew what it felt like. Snoke was cruel in his attacks, not caring about permanent damage. He would slash and cut his way through heads, causing unbearable pain. 

 

She was writhing on the ground now, clutching her head in an attempt to alleviate the pain. He ran to her, but struggled not to clutch his own head because of the pain. 

 

When he finally got to Rey, he cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly as she screamed to the high heavens, tears now rolling down her cheeks as her very mind was being torn apart. 

 

“Interesting,” said Snoke. His hand retreated, the attack done. 

 

Rey didn’t cry. She remained strong, turning her pain into hatred and anger directed towards Snoke. The change was felt throughout the room, and Kylo knew that the power did not escape his master. 

 

Snoke began to laugh, thumping the armchair of his throne and throwing his head back. His laugh was not attractive. It was a coughing sound, harsh to the ears. Reverberating around the large room, it continued to ring in Kylo’s ears long after Snoke himself stopped laughing.

 

“Good, very good,” said Snoke. “She’s strong with the darkness.”

 

Kylo could feel Rey’s breathing hitch while he cradled her to his chest. Her pain and anger churned into confusion. The dark side? No, she couldn’t have such power. She was a Jedi; a protector of the light. 

 

But inside, Kylo knew that she was just as strong as him. 

 

“That’s all I needed,” said Snoke. “You may go.” 

 

Not even bothering to glance back, to bow again to his master, Kylo ran out of the room with Rey still in his arms. He ran and he ran, until he couldn’t run anymore. Was Rey crying? She felt like a limp rag doll, devoid of all motion except for her fingers; which were clamped around his neck. 

 

“It’s okay, Kylo,” he heard her say. “You can put me down. I’m not a helpless little child.”

 

Following her wishes, Kylo gently set her down. She wobbled for the first few steps, trying to find her footing. When she stabilized himself, she looked up to gaze into his face. 

 

No, she wasn’t crying anymore. She actually seemed nonchalant. She punched his arm playfully, trying to lighten the atmosphere. 

 

“So,” she began, “your master is a pretty mean guy, huh?” She tried to grin, but it came out as more of a nasty grimace. 

 

“You don’t need to hide your emotions, Rey,” he said. “I know it hurt. You don’t have to put on a fake smile.”

 

Rey immediately frowned. “It hurt,” she whispered. “A lot.”

 

“I know,” said Kylo, hugging her to his chest. “I know it does.”

 

“Does he do that often to people?” she asked. 

 

“Yeah.” Kylo shrugged. “He punishes me like that sometimes.”

 

He said it casually, finding it to be a fact of life. The pain was a part of him now; something that he experienced so often. It numbed him after a while; normal pains nothing compared to what he felt at the hands of Snoke. He would gladly be burnt by lightsabers, hacked at by swords and blades if it meant that Snoke would never invade his mind again.

  
Rey pushed herself off of Kylo’s chest. “Wanna spar?” she asked. “I want to try out my new lightsaber again.”


	42. Chapter 42

Instead of Kylo leading the way, Rey walked to the sparring area with confidence. She knew these hallways so well, already. A few hesitant turns, but she soon found herself standing in front of the empty sparring room.

 

“Woah. It’s actually empty for once,” said Rey, wonder in her tone. All the other times she had been here, there had been too many knights to count. Some judged her, some glared at her. The image of the slain knight, Kylo’s blood-covered face flashed throughout her mind. 

 

“Where are the knights?” asked Rey. 

 

“They’re,” started Kylo, “preoccupied at the moment.” He was hesitating, speaking slowly. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Rey tried to get more information through their bond. But Kylo wasn’t letting her in; his mind protected by a steely wall. 

 

“Let’s go,” said Kylo, walking into the sandy pit and pulling out his own lightsaber. “Here’s yours.” He tossed her lightsaber from his belt to her, and Rey caught it with outstretched hands. 

 

“We’re using lightsabers today?” asked Rey, confused. “Aren’t you scared that we’ll hurt each other badly?” Kylo’s face scar stood out, and she grimaced at the thought of having a similar one. 

 

“Don’t worry about hurting me,” said Kylo. “Worry about yourself.” Saying nothing else, he launched himself forward into an attack. Rey barely had time to activate her own lightsaber to propel him off. Their sabers clashed, both of them pushing with great force. 

 

“Nice reaction time,” grunted Kylo. His eyes were inches from hers, his mouth worked into a snarl at the effort of attempting to win more ground over Rey. 

 

Before she could snap back a retort, or even blush at his compliment, his weight was gone. He had retreated and was swinging his blade up again for another attack. Fearful, Rey attacked using her own blades in a clumsily executed attack. Kylo deflected it easily, twirling his own blade with more agility than a dancer. 

 

She kept switching before offensive and defensive. Kylo seemed content to let her try and hurt him; occasionally pushing forward to test her strength. But for the most part, he idly watched while elegantly twirling and swinging his blade. What a show-off. He wasn’t the only one with skills. 

 

Rey stopped attacking and paused so she could twirl her staff. It was a different feel than a normal lightsaber; the two blades providing an odd sort of balance. She swung it around her body, before tossing it in the air, jumping and catching it. 

 

_ Pretty good, huh?  _ She asked Kylo through their bond. 

 

He had raised an eyebrow at her acrobatics, amused that she was trying so hard.  _ Not bad,  _ he said. But from him, Rey could feel an odd sort of pride and satisfaction. It rolled off of him in waves, making her smile. 

 

Their fight resumed, and it took them throughout the arena. More than once Kylo had Rey pinned against the wall. But he would always let her loose, so she could fight some more. It was like a game of cat and mouse; and odd sort of child’s play. No matter how hard she tried, Kylo was always out of reach. He left no openings in his stances, his blade moving too quickly for her to parry. Frustration reared up in her throat, and she wanted to scream. 

 

As he brought his blade up, slower than he normally would, Rey took the chance. She quickly brought her staff down on his blade with all her strength, attempting to knock it out of his hand and claim the victory. 

 

But her blade met no resistance. Instead, it whooshed through the open air. Kylo had retracted his blade, almost allowing Rey to hurt. 

 

She screamed with fear, stopping her lightsaber mere millimeters from Kylo’s face at the very last second. Her breath had sped up, and she focused on trying to calm herself. Her heart was a butterfly, and it felt as if it would burst out of her chest at any given moment

 

She had almost killed Kylo. If she hadn’t been fast enough, the blade would have gone right through his face; right past the scar that she had given him. Kylo himself was unaffected, his face still a serious and stern expression. 

 

“Do it,” he said, leaning his face even closer to the lightsaber. “Kill me. Swing through your stance. After all,” he smirked, “a Jedi never leaves things unfinished.” 

 

He was allowing her to kill him. But Rey couldn’t bring herself to do it. She deactivated the lightsaber and threw it onto the ground. It spun a bit, before landing next to Kylo’s. They were both without weapons now. Who won?

 

In a split decision, she did it. She punched Kylo right in the face. 

 

“Rey!” He screamed, clutching his bloody nose. “What the fuck!” He looked at her with an angry yet bemused expression. Before he could retaliate, she tackled him, using all her strength to topple his large frame. Down he went, and she followed. He splayed across the ground, clutching a bloody nose. 

 

Rey was straddling his chest, a tiny malicious beast. She crossed her arms, happy that she was able to take Kylo, such a large man, down. “So,” she teased. “Do you surrender?” She smirked. Kylo wouldn’t be able to call her weak ever again. Her smile didn’t affect Kylo. He looked up at her with dark eyes, not angry yet not amused. 

 

Faster than anything she had ever experienced, Kylo gripped her wrists with his strong hands. The world spun suddenly until she was the one on the ground. Kylo’s body pushed against hers, his weight suffocating. 

 

“Well,” he teased right back, “do you surrender?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Rey knew that Kylo would always be stronger than her. But she refused to surrender. That would be a sign of weakness; something that she could not permit. So rather, she kept quiet, smirking up at Kylo. 

 

Their bodies pressed together, she could feel every curve and bump of his body. There was one that stood out the most. His hard member was digging into her thigh, so hard that she couldn’t ignore its presence. 

 

He shifted his body, and involuntarily, his hard bulge ground into her own crotch. She groaned, feeling electricity shoot up her body. Kylo’s eyes filled with lust, deep and dark with desire. 

 

What was he going to do? Sweep her up and take her back to his chambers to ravish her? Kiss her nicely like a fairytale prince? Take her right here and now on the sandy floor of the arena? Rey realized that she didn’t care. They all sounded like good options. 

 

“Looks like we tied,” he said. He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up onto her feet. Needless to say, she was disappointed. The lust still churned inside of her; and judging by the large lump still in Kylo’s pants, he was also still aroused.

 

She shivered, rubbing her hands on her bare arms. Goosebumps had risen as a result of the cold air. Kylo noticed her discomfort and threw on his spare coat over it. It was large, but it made her feel so warm. Just the motion of throwing it on her brought her body closer to his, and she tried to kiss him. But Kylo held her back, his eyes containing a warning. 

 

Upset, she crossed her hands angrily and leaned in again for a kiss. Yes, her lips brushed his, but he didn’t go for the kiss like she did. He pushed her back again, at shoulder width. Frowning, Rey was confused by his actions. Didn’t he want her?

 

_ We’re surrounded,  _ said Kylo,  _ by the knights. This a test to see if your strength is still formidable.  _

 

_ Oh.  _ Said Rey. Now she understood why they weren’t passionately kissing right now.  _ Did I pass? _

 

_ We’ve yet to see.  _

 

“Is there anyone,” spoke Kylo, “that wants to challenge the strength of Lady Rey again?” He addressed their surroundings, speaking loudly and clearly. Murmurs arose in the darkness, and if Rey squinted, she could make out figures. An arm here, a few legs shuffling on the ground. None of the knights spoke up; too scared to challenge her. 

 

Then, it hit her. She had killed one of their numbers. The lady knight, her first ever kill. 

 

Kylo nodded, no doubt satisfied at the Knights’ silence. Yes, Rey was powerful. But she fought too clean. There were knights out there that would cheat; that would do whatever it took to win. Some were dirty fighters, others were just brutal. They would tear her apart; give her lasting scars. 

 

With no challengers, Kylo dragged Rey out of the arena. She stumbled, not expecting him to be so eager to leave. 

 

_ Were you afraid?  _ She asked. 

 

_ Yes.  _ Bit out Kylo.  _ You have no fucking idea how scared I was that one of the knights would want to fight you.  _

 

_ Oh, come on,  _ said Rey, rolling her eyes.  _ You know I could wallop any of those knights. After all, I did tackle you to the ground.  _

 

Kylo spun her around, stopping his walk and surprising Rey even more. He made sure to turn the corner, taking a quick glance around to check for eavesdroppers. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice taking on a tone of urgency. “Never, ever, duel with the knights unless you have to, okay?”

 

Rey merely nodded, unsure where this conversation was going. 

 

“You don’t get it, do you?” Kylo laughed, the sound bitter. “Those knights are beyond anything you can ever imagine. They’re cruel; they’re so brutal.” He stroked her cheek gently. “They’ll take you innocence and snap it in half. You have to promise me, Rey, that you will never try to fight them unless it’s a life or death situation. If you ever are in a situation, just call for me.” He tapped his hand, signifying their bond. 

 

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, giving him a sad smile. “If it makes you feel better, I promise, okay?”

 

Kylo let out a relieved sigh. It made feel happy that Kylo was capable of holding such compassion for her. It gave her hope that her mission might be completed. 

 

“Damn, Rey,” chuckled Kylo, holding his head in his hands. “What are you doing to me?”

 

Even Rey herself couldn’t find an answer. 

 

“I’m hungry,” she said, more to break the awkward silence than her actual desire. She was a bit hungry; and if she had to wager a guess, it was around lunchtime.    
  


Kylo shrugged. “We can fix that. Here, follow me.”   
  


“Where are we going?” asked Rey, struggling to keep up with Kylo’s long strides. Why did he have to have such spider legs? Didn’t he realize that people had to practically run to speak to him?

 

“Somewhere personal.” Kylo responded, and a million possibilities ran through Rey’s mind. Did he have a room stuffed with torture devices? Or was he more of a person who had an entire room full of fluffy toys? She giggled, imagining him playing with a stuffed animal toy. 

 

Even Kylo’s own lips twitched at that image. They rounded the corner of hallways that Rey had never ventured through before, and she knew that they were heading somewhere new. 

 

They ended up in front of a set of double doors. These were made from wood, intricate designs spiraling down the handles and all over the large doors. It was a good respite from the harsh rooms of the First Order. 

 

“I agree,” said Kylo. “I had this wood imported so it would feel more homely.” His fingers traced the door, lingering on the designs. Slowly, he turned the doorknob and allowed Rey to walk first into the room.

 

The first thing she noticed were books. Shelves and shelves of them. There were even mounds of them stacked on small tables throughout the room. Walking up to the shelf, she traced her own hands over the books, loving the feel of leather beneath her hands. She could stay here forever! Judging by the number of books, she could be entertained for quite a while. 

 

But the best thing was the wall. Unlike the normal white walls of the First Order; Kylo had made the entire wall a huge window. It was so clear, and if Rey hadn’t placed a hand on the glass, she would never have known it was there. 

 

Stars were glittering in the black expanse of space. She could make out some planets, a giant star that pulsed light. Several ships zoomed in and out of the giant base, exploring deep into the facets of space.

  
  


“Service droid: bring lunch to my study,” she vaguely heard Kylo say into a speaker. Lunch was no doubt on the way. She didn’t notice the way that he stalked towards her; too engrossed in staring outside the window. 

 

Hands slid up her arms and removed the coat that she had worn. She hummed, placing her own hands over Kylo’s. Turning around, she made straight for his lips to kiss him. 

 

Here, in this private room, passion was not denied. Kylo met her kiss; kissing her so hard that her head banged against the shelf behind her. She barely registered the pain, for it soon turned into pleasure. 

 

Ahhh. This was what she had been waiting for. She kissed him back, hungrily like a starving man. She even grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him closer to her so she could have more of him. Unconsciously, her legs wrapped around his waist, and he grabbed onto her hips to keep her in place. 

 

The door to his study opened, and Rey was so surprised that she practically bit down on Kylo’s bottom lip. He hissed in pain, and she could taste blood. 

 

“Oh my goodness!” she screamed, unwrapping her legs from his waist and stopping the kiss. Rising on her toes, she examined his lip. True to her guess, there was a cut where she bit down. “I’m so sorry!” But even while apologizing, she was laughing. He joined her, chuckling at Rey's reaction. The passionate environment was ruined, and Rey could feel her stomach once again growl with hunger. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” said Kylo. He sucked on his lip, cleaning away the blood. A service droid had opened the door, and Kylo walked over to pick up the plates and shove the droid out the door. This time, he locked it. 

 

“In the mood for some stew?” He asked, and laid the plates down on the coffee table before sitting on a plushy couch. He patted the seat beside him, and Rey sat down too. 

 

Judging by the smell, it was some kind of meaty soup. Kylo took the bowls, ladeling each of them full to the brim with the delicious soup. He handed one, along with a spoon, into Rey’s hands. The bowl was hot, but Rey had already adapted to hot surfaces during her time on Jakku. 

 

“Mmm,” she said, savoring a bite. “It’s good!” It was so rich, full of flavor that just a few spoonfuls made her feel close to being full. Her stomach bulged after a second helping, and she set down her bowl with a content sigh.

 

Kylo had finished his meal long before her. While she was eagerly spooning the stew into her waiting mouth, he had taken his time to stare at her. Possessive, like the lover he was. But still gentle enough to be her partner. But his legs were so long, and they took up most of the couch. Annoyed, she pushed at Kylo’s spider legs. 

 

They didn’t budge even an inch. Kylo arched his eyebrow in his signature move, and Rey made an exasperated sound. “Seriously Kylo, do you not see how much space you’re taking up?”

 

“Looks like we’re going to have to find a solution.” Kylo picked Rey up, and draped her body over his lap so that her chest and midriff were on his thighs. Laughing at how his hands were tickling her waist, she allowed herself to be moved. Truthfully, she had yearned for him to place his hands on her. They were so strong and supportive, that she would just  _ melt _ whenever he touched her. 

 

It was an odd position. But she could see how useful this position was. She opened the book she had been carrying; a scientific one that was on the topic of stars. It seemed interesting, at least. She wanted to take advantage of such a large library; one that she had never had access to before. 

 

Something tickled at her back, and she shot her head up to glance at Kylo. 

 

He was writing on her back. Like actually writing. With a pencil. Papers were spread out against her spine, and Kylo was dutifully doing his work. She couldn’t read each exact word; but she could see numbers. Large, complicated numbers that would no doubt give her a headache. And Kylo wrote  _ fast _ , barely stopping to think about his calculations, even though they involved such large and complex equations. 

 

Each time he wrote a word or computed numbers, she could feel it on her back. It wasn’t ticklish, but it didn’t totally not affect her. Like a light feather, his writing brushed lightly against her back. She giggled, finding their whole situation laughable. 

 

“What’s wrong?” asked Kylo gently, not stopping his work. 

 

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said. “You’re just such a responsible commander,” she teased, shooting him a light smile before going back to reading her book. 

 

“Well,” said Kylo, tracing his fingers lightly down her back. The sensation was so strong that Rey gasped, biting her lip to stop any further sounds. “Maybe the reason I’m so responsible is because I have such a strong queen by my side.”

 

\-----------------------------

 

“You know what you must do, correct?” Snoke sat once again in his throne room, the prostate and bowing figure of a knight at his feet. 

 

“Yes, my master. I remember your instructions clearly.” The knight spoke; but not in a fearful tone. It was more subdued, more hesitant. 

 

“Then,” said Snoke, leaning forward from his chair, “why is the scavenger girl still alive?”

 

“I’m sorry, I really am!” The knight raised his face, his expression becoming pleading. “I haven’t been able to corner her alone. Kylo Ren is always by her side or near enough to prove a danger.”

 

“I trust, Loman Ren, that you will do what is right. Do you not wish to follow my orders?” Snoke curled his fist. “Do you desire punishment so much that you would defy your leader?”

 

“No, no,” said Loman, lowering his head and bowing again. “I will do as you command.” His posture betrayed his fear, and he cowered on the floor as a weak and pathetic excuse for a human. Snoke frowned, angered that Loman had proved to be so weak. But for now, he would serve his use. 

 

“Then go,” he said. “Leave my presence.” Loman followed his instructions, hurrying out of the throne room to leave Snoke alone again. His steps echoed until they finally faded into silence. 

 

So far, so good. Loman had been following his instructions. A weak rat he might be; but even the weakest creature feared punishment. Thus, Snoke knew that he could trust Loman to carry out his objectives. 

 

But what about this scavenger girl who had such a hold over his apprentice? She was being too tempting to Kylo Ren. He had seen the way Kylo cradled her; the way he seemed pained by the scavenger’s torture. 

 

Snoke had been in her mind and had gotten a taste of her true potential. She had such raw energy, energy that practically begged to be shaped. For good or for evil; the Light or Dark side. 

 

Yes, the girl had darkness, but she also held so much light. It would be perfect, really, if she was like Anakin Skywalker. A true wielder of the dark side, the holder of supreme power and master of the ways of the Force. She might be the offspring of the Force, but she had not yet decided her path in life. 

 

He had set Loman to fight against Rey. If she was killed; she was just another obstacle removed. But if she somehow won, somehow managed to win against such a brutal, cruel, and strong knight, then she might prove to be a useful too. 

 

Kylo Ren and his queen, Rey Kenobi. Sneering, Snoke imagined what such a powerful couple could be able to accomplish. With their power, the entire universe would be at their feet. And who would guide them? Who would benefit from their strength?

  
All Snoke had to do was wait in the shadows. Soon enough, he would reap his rewards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun DUNNNNN (oooh suspense)
> 
> dammit Snoke why you gotta ruin everything good?


	43. Chapter 43

Rey was halfway through her book, shuffling through a chapter on wormholes when Kylo finally put down his paperwork. The sensations on her back stopped, and she dog-eared her own book. It was interesting, and it held so much knowledge! She felt dizzy, her brain spinning from the influx of new knowledge. And this was just one book! Kylo practically had thousands more on his shelf!

 

Kylo let out a relieved sigh, sounding more tired than when he had started working. He rolled his shoulders, no doubt to relieve the stress that had accumulated.

 

“Finished?” asked Rey. 

 

“The paperwork part, yes,” said Kylo. “But I still have to inspect our new starships. I’ve gotten reports from general Hux,” Kylo’s lips curled in a sneer at the man’s names, “that some of the ships are malfunctioning. He asked me to investigate and try to solve the problem.”

 

Immediately, Rey perked up. “Malfunctioning machines?” If there was one thing that she could truly understand, it was a machine. She had grown up around them, had lived inside them. They had been her best friends; her keys to portions. “I’ll go with you. I might be able to help you solve the problem faster.” Truthfully, she really wanted to go and help Kylo fix the ships. It had been a while since she had laid her hands on some machines, and her fingers itched to get oily and dirty. 

“Are you sure?” asked Kylo. “You could go back to our room and sleep if you’re tired.” Rey noted how he said ‘our room’, and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. 

 

“Nah,” she said. “I’m not tired.” She lifted herself from the couch and stretched her own sore muscles. “Can I take this book with me?” She could leave it in his study, but she wanted to read it during free times. 

 

“I don’t see why not,” said Kylo, quickly scanning the title. “You like astronomy?” He asked, a bit of surprise tinting his voice. 

 

“It’s interesting. I don’t remember learning much about it at the academy, and I never got a chance to read interesting books on Jakku,” she said. She felt Kylo poking through their bond, and she allowed him to worm his way inside her thoughts. He would fully understand; be able to see Rey’s wonder at all the information available at her fingertips. Feel her loneliness on Jakku, and know why this new book was so important to her.

 

“Okay,” huffed Kylo, “let’s get going.” He stood up, smoothing his cloaks. He walked briefly to place his papers down on the wooden desk in the corner of the room and moved to open the door. “Go ahead.”

 

At his command, Rey walked through the door, frowning to be once again presented with the First Order’s drab hallways. Kylo set off at a quick pace, and Rey hurried to match his pace. 

 

After a while, Rey knew that they had arrived at the starship hangar. People were flitting about, and there was a balcony from which she and Kylo could observe the entire hangar. An elevator stood by the side, and Rey weaseled her way into it after Kylo activated it. 

 

As they shot down in the glass elevator, Rey’s mouth opened with amazement. There were just so many ships! There had to be thousands, maybe even millions. The Resistance seemed like a joke compared to the First Order’s troops. How many people were even required to keep all the ships in place?

 

The elevator landed on the bottom, and the doors slipped open. She walked out, Kylo following. Stormtroopers nodded respectfully to them, and some mechanics stopped their work to salute Kylo. 

 

It was a labyrinth; giant ships looming over her. Small starships were scattered here and there; tiny little planes that looked compact but deadly. Kylo walked with a purpose, eventually stopping in front of a giant array of certain planes. 

 

“Greetings, master,” someone said. Rey followed the source of the voice, and judging, by the way, he was dressed, he was a lieutenant. “And you as well, my Lady.” Rey was startled, surprised that news of her return had spread so quickly. “I am quite pleased that you were able to safely return to us.”

 

Rey blinked, and cleared her throat. What was the First Order’s view on her? Did they think her loyal to their cause? But the lieutenant held an odd gaze towards her; his eyes narrowed. She understood suddenly: this was all a test. No doubt the First Order thought her a deserter or a traitor. The lieutenant looked expectantly at her for an answer, and all Rey could do was nod. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m glad to be back.”

 

Seemingly satisfied, the lieutenant walked towards the planes, stopping beside one. “This is the newest version of the TX-801 fighters we have in stock,” he said, his hand seemingly caressing the smooth sides of the plane. “There is something wrong, and our mechanics determined that it was the back engine.”

 

“If you have located the problem,” said Kylo, “then why haven’t you solved it yet?” His tone carried annoyance, and Rey tugged at his sleeve. Why was he always so impatient? Kylo looked down in confusion, his anger still directed the fearful-looking lieutenant. 

 

_ “ _ Calm down, Kylo,” she said gently. “It’s not the mechanics’ fault.”

 

He grumbled, still clearly unhappy. A good leader of the First Order he might be, but Rey knew that his temper was too great and his patience too little. 

 

“Let me take a look at the back engine, officer,” she said. The lieutenant took a face of surprise, and he stuttered. 

 

“My Lady, there is no need for you to do such a lowly task. I can just call a mechanic over,” he said.

 

“No, don’t worry about it. I think I can solve this pretty quickly. Can you get me a tool set? I’ll need a wrench, a flashlight, some nails, and other basic things,” she said. At her commands, the lieutenant ran off in search of her needs. 

 

“You really think you can do this, Rey?” asked Kylo, looking down at her with surprise. Rey shrugged, unsure whether he was angry or proud. Was she not supposed to help? She was just trying to be useful; there was no need for him to be angry. 

 

“I can do it,” she said. “It’s just a simple engine malfunction probably.” Not a second after she finished talking, the lieutenant came back, holding a giant box full of tools. He handed them to her, and she took them in her hands. “Thank you.” she said. Seemingly startled by her words of thanks, the lieutenant blushed. 

 

“No need to thank me, ma’am.” He walked to the back of the plane, and both Rey and Kylo followed. There was a latch, and Rey knew what needed to be done. Setting her toolbox down on the ground, she pulled out a screwdriver. 

 

She worked fast, her fingers nimbly turning the screws until the latch fell onto the ground. Inside the plane, it was like a small cave. 

 

“Can you give me a boost? Just hold me up until I can climb inside,” she asked. The lieutenant moved forward, his hands outstretched and ready to lift her up. But Kylo practically knocked the poor man’s hands away and shot him a glare that would kill. 

 

“Don’t touch her.” Kylo bit out. Rey rolled her eyes. He always got too jealous and possessive. A second later, she could feel his strong hands on her waist, and she began to move upwards. She stretched her arms inside the plane and pulled herself onto the engine. 

 

It was dark. Very dark. “Can you pass me a flashlight? And a wrench?” she asked, stretching her hand behind her. Soon, she could feel the cool metal handles of the tools touch her palm, and she immediately ignited the flashlight. Light broke through the darkness of the plane, and she gasped at how large the inside was. Never would she have thought that such a small starship would be possible of housing so many machines and engines. 

 

Most of the things seemed right. Wires were where they were supposed to be, and the lights on the engines all blinked green. Except for one. She wiggled and crawled, pulling herself up to stare at the engine with a red blinking light. 

 

She snorted, amused at how simple the problem was. Really? First Order mechanics weren’t able to sort such a small nuisance out?

 

_ Hey, don’t insult my workers,  _ said Kylo.  _ They’re not as gifted as you. _

 

Rolling her eyes, Rey chuckled. This job would be over soon. She already knew what was wrong with this particular engine. There was a plug-in in one of the ports that was not needed, and it caused the entire circuit to break, and therefore, render the starship unable to fly. 

 

It seemed tiny. Both of her hands were able to wrap around it. She pulled on it, but it did not come out. It was stubborn, and she soon found herself groaning with the effort of pulling it. She placed one foot on the engine, to give herself more leverage. When it still did not move, she moved her other foot to join the one already on the engine. 

 

She pulled and she pulled and she pulled. Frustration was starting to set in, and she knew that she should’ve grabbed some oil to help it slide out quicker and easier. But the toolbox was too far away, and she knew that the plug-in would come out very soon with the amount of effort she was putting in. 

 

It still wasn’t moving! Gritting in her teeth, she called on the Force to help her. The energy flowed through her, giving her more power. 

 

Then, all of a sudden, the plug-in pulled out. The only problem was, it launched her backward, and her feet were unable to steady her body. Screaming, she felt herself falling through the open air. 

 

_ Rey! _ she briefly heard Kylo’s concerned voice. 

 

She didn’t need to worry about hurting herself. Falling out of the latch, she was immediately caught in a pair of strong arms. Looking up into the arms of her savior, she gazed into Kylo’s worried eyes. She rolled her eyes. Why would she ever have to worry? Kylo would always be there to save her. 

  
“Are you alright?” he asked, his face gentle. She nodded, and she placed her down on the floor, as gentle as if she was a porcelain doll. Rey turned to face the lieutenant and held up the plug-in that was in her hand. 

 

“I found the problem,” she said. “I don’t know why your builders did this, but they added in an unnecessary plug-in in one of the engines. All you have to do is pull it out, and the plane should function as normal. When your mechanics pull it out, they should use a wrench and some oil.” At her words, the lieutenant gazed at her with wonder, surprised that she knew so much. She blushed, embarrassed at feeling so smart. 

 

“Thank you, my Lady,” he said, awe in his voice. He bowed, so low that Rey thought his torso might break in half. “I’ll be sure to relay your information and advice to our mechanics. We should be able to fix the entire fleet now,” he said. 

 

Kylo grabbed her arm suddenly, and Rey flinched at how hard he was grabbing her. “We’ll be taking our leave now. I’m sure, lieutenant Burch, that you will tell Hux that the problem is solved.” Without looking back, he practically dragged Rey away. 

 

He managed to make good distance, and dragged Rey under the belly of a giant starship. Judging by the sounds from above; it was also being fixed. Kylo finally stopped, and so did Rey. 

 

“What is wrong with you?” Rey hissed. When he didn’t respond nor break his long stride, she managed to wrest her arm out of his hold. “I helped to fix an entire fleet of ships. Shouldn’t I be getting more gratitude?” She asked. 

 

Kylo never got to respond. From nowhere, hot oil suddenly poured down Rey’s tunic. 

 

She screamed, the feel of the burning hot oil causing her great pain. Without thinking, she followed her first instinct and quickly removed the top part of her robes that were soaked with dangerously hot oil. The cold air soothed her burns, and she sighed with relief. It wasn’t until a second later than she fully registered the fact that she was entirely naked except for her revealing chest bindings. 

 

Put she needn’t not worry about being indecent in public. Kylo moved quickly, swinging his own coat over her upper body, and she wrapped it around so that she could feel decent. 

 

Kylo growled and gazed upward at the starship. She followed his gaze, to look into the eyes of the two fearful mechanics who were responsible for her new burns. 

 

“You two,” growled Kylo, “get down here.” His voice was dangerously low almost animalistic, and his hand shot to his lightsaber. The two mechanics were in such a hurry to follow their commander’s orders that they practically fell onto the ground, kneeling at Kylo’s feet immediately and groveling for their lives. 

 

“We’re sorry, my Lord,” one of them said, casting his eyes to the ground to avoid Kylo’s angry eyes. “It was all an accident!”

 

“Even accidents required punishment,” said Kylo. His hand moved in a sudden motion, swinging his lightsaber out from his belt and activating it. Rey knew what he wanted to do; she could feel the bloodlust that was not her own flood through her body. She shivered at the sensation, and grabbed at Kylo’s arm. 

 

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Don’t do it!” She pleaded with him, not wanting to see any more bloodshed. It was just an accident! Did he really want to kill them over such a tiny incident? Kylo didn’t move, seemingly unaffected by her words. She held her breath; was he going to continue and kill the poor souls who accidentally burned her?

 

“Rey,” he whispered after long silence. “Don’t you want their deaths? They burned you; almost caused you to be indecent in public!”

 

Yes, Rey was angry at the two mechanics for burning her. But she knew that they didn’t deserve death. “I don’t want you to kill them, Kylo! Can’t you just let them go? It was an accident, and you know it.” Kylo finally retracted his lightsaber, and Rey’s sigh of relief mingled with both of the mechanics’. 

 

“If you do that again, if you even so much as step a foot out of line, I will know.” said Kylo, whispering threateningly to the knights. “And next time, I won’t be so lenient. You should thank Lady Rey for her forgiveness.”

 

The knights practically banged their heads on the ground, moving quickly to bow. “Thank you, Lady Rey! Thank you!” They continued to bow, thankful for their lives. Rey blushed, not used to having people grovel at her feet. 

 

“Kylo,” she said, tugging at his sleeve. “Can we go back to our room? I think I need to shower.” He stood for a moment longer, taking his time to glare at the two mechanics. Finally, he spun around, and started to lead Rey out of the hangar. 

 

Everyone had stopped to watch what had transpired between Rey and the mechanics. People were openly staring, some with open mouths. They had been expecting death, cruel and bloody ends to the mechanics’ lives, the typical way workers were punished for mistakes. But Lady Rey stopped the infamous Kylo Ren from killing them. Was she some kind of mystical being? What magic did she hold over him?

 

Uncomfortable from all the stares, Rey pulled Kylo’s cloak closer to her body, happy that it was so large. Knowing how naked she felt, Kylo’s arm snaked around her waist, and he pulled her closer. 

 

Someone wolf-whistled from the ground. A solitary sound, and it caused all the soldiers and workers to burst out in laughter. Rey blushed even harder, and even Kylo cracked a smile. Both of them walked faster, moving out of the hangar and away from the gazes of the workers. 

 

The moment they set foot outside the hangar, Kylo swept Rey up into his arms. 

 

Shrieking with surprise, Rey felt herself enclosed by strong arms. Kylo began to ran, urgently fast. 

 

“Where are we going?” she asked. 

 

“To the infirmary,” said Kylo. “Do you not feel your burns?”

 

Now that he mentioned it, she did. Her side and left shoulder were beginning to throb, pain slowly flooding into her body. Every brush of the fabric against her skin caused an uncomfortable sensation, and Rey began to shiver at her lack of clothes. Kylo’s cloak was warm, but she had taken off her inner robes.

 

They passed plenty of people. Stormtroopers, and some surprises workers. Rey caught a glimpse of a snarky sneer and ginger hair; and she immediately knew it was general Hux. It was the first time she had seen him since she walked onboard, and this was not the situation she had pictured for their meeting. 

 

Out of breath, Kylo finally stopped at the infirmary. He kicked the door open with his foot, and walked to the closest cot. Placing Rey down gently, he yelled for a doctor. 

 

A droid rolled over, beeping. “No,” said Kylo. “I want an actual doctor. Not a machine!” He sounded desperate, a side of him that Rey had never seen before. 

 

The droid rolled away, and in its place came an elderly woman. She wore pristine white robes, her face graced with a gentle smile. She seemed like a kind person, and Rey felt happy that such a person would be taking care of her. 

 

“What’s the problem, Kylo?” Her voice was gentle, and soft. Rey noted how she called Kylo by his first name; the first person she knew, besides her, that did so. 

 

“It’s good to see you again, Doctor Melania,” said Kylo. He spoke to her, not in the commanding tone that Rey usually heard him use, but a gentle and friendly one. “Lady Rey got burned by machine oil, and I think she has burns down her left side.”

 

“Can I call you Rey?” Doctor Melania asked, turning to face her. Rey nodded, feeling safe and secure in the hands of this doctor. “Sweetie, please remove that giant cloak. I have to assess the damage.” Rey reluctantly took Kylo’s cloak off, shivering at the cold air. It soothed her burns, but the rest of her body felt cold. 

 

Doctor Melanie drew in a sharp breath, and Rey looked down at her skin to look at the damage. Her shoulder was just a little red, not too burnt. But her left side, her chest, was a stronger red. Just looking at it made her feel nauseous. 

 

“Oh yes,” said the doctor, shaking her head. “That’s a pretty bad burn.” Her fingers lightly traced the burn, gentle enough to not hurt. “Luckily, I have some ointments that you can use to speed up the healing.” She walked away, moving to a nearby cabinet and opening the top shelf to remove some bottles before walking back to Rey. 

 

“This is a nice and soothing cream,” she said. “Just apply this throughout the day, and you’ll feel better within a week or so.” Rey took the ointment, which was packaged in a small container. She opened it, and the smell of fresh mint hit her nose. Loving the smell, she quickly smeared some over her chest. The second it made contact with her skin, she felt instantly renewed and refreshed. 

 

“Does it work?” asked the doctor. 

 

“Yes,” said Rey, a giant smile on her face. “It does. Thank you so much!”

 

“No problem, dear.” The doctor smiled gently, her eyes twinkling. “I’m just doing my job. After all, our dear Kylo here,” she patted Kylo’s arm affectionately, “is a constant visitor to my infirmary.”

 

Rey laughed, as did the doctor. Kylo merely smiled. Throwing his cloak over her once again, Rey was happy to be warm. Now that her burns were soothed, coldness had set in again.

 

“Thanks for the medicine, doctor,” said Kylo. He turned to face Rey. “Do you want to take a shower?” Rey nodded eagerly, and Kylo helped her get down from the cot. “Thanks, Melania. I’ll see you soon.” With the farewell, Kylo helped to lead Rey out of the infirmary. 

 

“She’s really nice. I like her,” Rey said. “She called you a constant visitor. How often do you get hurt?” 

 

Kylo shrugged, indifferent. “Sometimes when I’m sparring with another knight, they’ll play dirty. Or if Snoke decides to punish me with physical wounds. I alway go to doctor Melania; because she never yells at you or asks questions. She just does her job and heals my wounds.”

 

Rey winced, hearing how indifferent Kylo was to physical wounds. Unable to think of anything to say, she walked back to their chambers in silence, side by side with Kylo. Kylo opened the door with a passcode, and Rey walked in. 

 

“Shower, here I come!” she said, throwing off Kylo’s robe and running right to the bathroom. She took off her clothes at light speed, and quickly turned on the shower knob. The moment it was warm enough, she jumped right in. 

 

The water was cold enough to not irritate her burns, but also warm enough to be comfortable. Slowly but surely, the smell of machine oil slid from her skin. She rubbed her skin with some body wash, sighing at how good it felt to be good.

 

She moved on, starting to rub shampoo into her hair. Some of the oil had ended up in her buns, and that was just plain nasty. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to get lost in the sensation of bubbles and soap. 

 

Then, the bathroom door slammed open. Screaming, Rey threw her hands over her chest and lower body, her heart rate quickening. Didn’t Kylo ever know how to knock? Why did he always barge in like he had the right to?

 

His soft footsteps made their way over to the shower, and they stopped. Rey was suddenly thankful for the opaque shower door. 

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

 

“You left your ointment outside,” said Kylo. “I thought you might need it after you finished showering.”

 

“Oh, I completely forgot. Thanks. Just leave it on the floor outside the shower,” she said. She heard the soft  _ thunk _ of the ointment container, and she knew that he had placed it outside the shower wall. Waiting for him to walk back out; she held her breath.

 

Instead of walking out; she heard him sigh. The sound of the ruffling of fabric reached her ears and she guessed that Kylo had sat down outside. 

 

“You don’t understand, Rey.” said Kylo. His voice was muffled, as if he was holding his face in his hands. “Whenever you’re hurt, it feels like I’ve been the one hurt. When that oil poured down you today, I could feel it. It was burning me, and it hurt even more when I could see your burns.” His tone was desperate, pleading, and incredibly sad. 

 

Rey didn’t know how to respond. She always knew that he could feel her pain through their bond, but she never thought that it affected him in that way. It comforted her, strangely enough, to know that someone felt her pain. That someone cared for her, felt her wounds as their own. 

 

“And I couldn’t do anything to stop it,” said Kylo. “I felt so helpless! The oil just poured down you, and I couldn’t do anything.” His voice reached its peak, and he was speaking so passionately that Rey felt as if he was shouting. 

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, feeling awkward while Kylo poured out his soul. “It was just an accident. Besides, there’s no lasting damage.” Kylo didn’t respond, and silence fell across the room again. Unsure of what to do, she finished washing her hair, and quickly rinsed off all of the remaining soap on her body. 

 

“Hey, can you pass me the towel?” she said. Opening the shower door just a little, she extended her hand and shivered at the feeling of the cold air. A fluffy material finally flopped into her hand, and she quickly wrapped the towel around her chest before stepping out of the shower. 

 

Kylo was still sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. He looked defeated, like a man returning from war. 

 

“Hey,” she said. “Don’t be too down.” She playfully ruffled his shoulder. Kylo lifted his head, and Rey finally was able to glance at his bloodshot eyes. 

 

“Oh my goodness,” she said, grasping Kylo’s tired face in her hands. “What’s wrong? Do you feel sick? Did the oil get in your eyes?”

 

Kylo said nothing, just leaned into her hand some more. “I’m not sick. I’m just worried about you getting hurt.”

 

A smile graced her face, and she laughed at how  _ childlike _ Kylo was. He was treating her the way a small child would with his favorite possession. He always got so angry when other people touched her, and he brought himself to tears at her pain. 

 

“Now go,” she said, pulling him up. “I need to change and dry off.” She pushed him out of the bathroom, and locked the door. Why did it feel like she was forgetting something? Something very, very important?

 

Shit!

  
“Hey Kylo!” she shouted. “Can you toss me some new clothes?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POSSESSIVE KYLO IS A KYLO THAT WE ALL NEED MORE OF IN OUR LIVES


	44. Chapter 44

Rey sighed, loving the feeling of being fresh. Her skin was smooth; all of the dead skin cells having been peeled off. The former scent of motor oil was now replaced with a fruitier one, a scent that conjured up images of fresh flowers and fruits. 

 

Her hair was still wet, so Rey allowed it to hang freely down her back. Running a hand through it to detangle the stray strands of hair, she hissed in pain whenever her fingers did encounter a particularly dangerous tangle. She would gladly fight a thousand monsters, endure a thousand cuts, if it meant that she would never need to detangle her hair again. When she did emerge victorious after battling with her hair; the sink and floor were covered with strands of her brown locks. 

 

“I’m finally done,” said Rey, stepping out of the bathroom. “What do we do now?”   
  


Kylo was not lounging on the bed like she had expected him to be. Instead, he was quite studiously examining a hologram of a planet, squinting his eyes while deep in thought. He walked around the hologram, tapping sometimes on the surface to cause data points to arise.

 

Walking to his side, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Do you still have more work you need to do?”   
  


Kylo rubbed his eyes, looking exhausted. “There’s always work to do,” he said. “Now, I’m supposed to find the best place for a First Order base. Somewhere hidden, but somewhere easily accessible.”

 

“So somewhere like a chasm? Or a ravine?” Rey stated the obvious options. 

 

“That’s what I thought. I’ve outlined all the chasms, ravines, and caves that are deep enough to house our troops and ships,” said Kylo. He used his long figure to point out some of the deep red lights that Rey saw flickering on the hologram. 

 

_ Come to me, my young apprentices.  _

 

Kylo staggered backward, clutching his head in pain as the voice of his master painfully invaded his brain. He was not the only one to feel it. Rey felt it too, the voice digging painfully sharp into her mind like a dull dagger. The presence was full of evil, darkness that was so dangerous that it made her shiver. 

 

As quickly as it had come, the voice left their minds.

 

“What was that?” asked Rey, still clutching her mind while the waves of pain slowly subsided. 

 

“That was Snoke. My master. I’m surprised you heard him this time.” Kylo was looking at Rey with wide eyes, unbelieving and surprised. He blinked slowly, and when he next opened his eyes he was the stern commander that she was used to. “Let’s go,” he said. “We’ll be punished if we’re not there fast enough.”

 

Fearful of the retribution of Snoke, Rey ran out of the room, following Kylo’s heels like an obedient puppy. What did Snoke want with her?

 

_ Kylo,  _ she practically sobbed through their bond.  _ Is he going to hurt me again?  _ Rey knew that she shouldn’t be so fearful. She should be like Luke Skywalker, peaceful and fearless. But just remembering the pain that Snoke had inflicted on her made her quiver with fear. That man, no,  _ thing,  _ was just plain evil.

 

_ No, no,  _ said Kylo, who sounded just as desperate as her.  _ I can’t let him hurt you again.  _

 

They reached the throne room which now seemed so familiar, the decorative doors swinging open to admit them to the cold room. This time, when Rey walked in, she managed to be strong enough to resist the chills that crept down her spine. But even though she felt strong enough to resist showing fear, she still was too weak to stare Snoke right in the eyes. Walking to his throne, she bowed at his feet and gritted her teeth. 

 

“It’s good that you came so quickly,” said Snoke. He seemed to be directing his words at Kylo, and Rey was relieved that she wasn’t yet receiving punishment. “And you too, little star,” said Snoke, shifting in his seat to face her. Rey visibly shivered, unable to force down the revolt in her throat at haring Snoke call her a little star. It might have been a good title in someone else’s mouth, like Kylo’s, but when it came out of Snoke’s mouth all she wanted to do was throw up. 

 

“I came as you called, Master,” said Kylo. “What will you command of us?” His voice was neither obedient nor challenging; but an emotionless tone that betrayed nothing of his emotions. 

 

“I called you here not so I could deal commands, my young padawan,” chuckled Snoke as if amused by a joke. “I merely wanted to tell you about new changes within the system.” Waving his hand, Snoke made what seemed to be a commanding motion. And out of the shadows, from behind the throne, stepped a man. 

 

Rey almost rolled her eyes. This was all too cliche. What was coming next? An epic lightsaber battle and dramatic music in the background? Lifting her eyes, she gazed at the newcomer. 

 

It was man, no doubt a Knight of Ren. He wore dark cloaks, blacker than the deepest night. His helmet looked strikingly familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere else before. Then, it it her. It was a helmet almost exactly like Kylo’s. The same eye holes, and the same black metal. 

 

“This,” said Snoke, “is the new commander of the First Order. Kylo Ren, he will work alongside you as an equal in both power and command. As for you, little star, he will be your second master. You must bend to his will, and listen to his commands.” 

 

Right on cue, the mysterious knight removed his helmet. Rey gasped, then narrowed her eyes in an accusing when she recognized who it was. It was that knight, Loman was his name, whose friend was killed by Kylo during the duel. And yes, he was present during the bonding ceremony. If she remembered correctly, he didn’t seem to like her very much. 

 

“It’s good to see you again, little star,” said Loman, his lips curling in a mean snarl. Rey shivered, and abruptly turned her head so she didn’t have to look him in the eye. No, he was not as scary as his master, but she still didn’t like the way he looked at her. 

 

Meanwhile, Kylo had been quite silent at her side. He had stood up during Snoke’s speech, rigid and straight. His fists were curled at his side, an obvious sign of discomfort and hostile behavior. Unsure of what to do, Rey stood up and quickly walked to Kylo’s side before hiding partially behind him. Loman’s eyes followed her movements, and it chilled her to the bone. Kylo’s hand gripped her own in a comforting embrace of stability and reassurance. 

 

“Now, now, little star, don’t be rude.” Snoke chuckled. “Why don’t you say hello to your new master? Don’t be shy; walk to him to say hello.” Rey knew that Snoke wasn’t merely giving her an option. It was a command, and if she didn’t want to be punished, she should probably listen to him. 

 

Kylo squeezed her hand, and she glanced up to gage his reaction. His eyes were a storm, dark browns contrasting with warm hazel colors. Ever so slightly, he nodded, and Rey knew what she had to do. Loman’s eyes still hadn’t left her face.

 

Taking a deep breath, Rey let go of Kylo’s hand reluctantly and walked slowly over to the other Knight. She kept her eyes on the stone floor, focusing on the constant sounds of her footsteps and trying her hardest to ignore Loman’s stare.

 

She knew that she had arrived at her destination by the second pair of feet that entered her line of vision. Loman’s feet were big; dressed in shiny black boots that were so reflective she could see her own face. 

 

“Are you not going to greet your master?” whispered Loman. His voice was coarser than Kylo’s, but just as commanding and powerful. Not responding, Rey kept her eyes focused on the ground. 

 

She could feel the shift of fabric, and could soon feel hot breath against her ear. Revolted by the feeling, she shivered. 

 

“Oh, I see,” continued Loman, every word of his causing his hot breath to brush against her ear. “You’re nothing but Kylo’s whore.”

 

Angered, Rey shot her head up to stare him in the eye. How dare he call her a whore? She wasn’t Kylo’s slut; she was Lady Rey. 

 

Yes, she had prepared to scream and shout at him. But something stopped her. Loman’s eyes, inches from her own, were completely black. They weren’t even able to be categorized as dark brown, just pure blackness. They were blank and emotionless, almost inhuman. 

 

“I am nobody’s whore,” Rey responded, speaking each word carefully and slowly. Who was he, Loman, and why did he feel the need to disrespect her so much? He had no right to judge her at all.

 

“It’s good to see that the little star can speak after all.” Loman responded. Rey grimaced, not quite enjoying his little nickname for her. 

 

“It’s nice of you, little star, to greet your master. Now go,” motioned Snoke, his fingers pointing towards the door. “Go practice your forms with your new master.”

 

New master? Rey barely had time to comprehend Snoke’s words before her arm was roughly grabbed. She felt Loman dragging her to the door, and she immediately panicked. Kylo’s eyes met hers, and she tried her best to convey her fear through their bond. Taking a step forward, then another, Kylo ran in her direction. 

 

“Not you, Kylo Ren. Stay.”

 

As if affected by a spell, Kylo froze in place after Snoke finished speaking. Rey got one last glimpse of his worried face and rigid body before being forcibly dragged out of the throne room. The doors swung shut, and Rey feared for what Snoke would do to Kylo. 

 

_ Kylo?  _ Rey called out in their mind bond but was met with only harsh silence. It was like a wall of steel separated their minds, leaving her uncomfortably alone for the first time in ages. 

 

Before she could try to reach out to him again, she was slammed against a wall. She grunted, all of the air in her lungs whooshing out of her mouth quickly. Loman’s arm had pinned against the wall, and his height difference made it so that her feet did not touch the ground. 

 

“You listen to me, girl,” growled Loman, “and listen good. From here on out, you listen to my commands. Anything I say, you do. Do you understand?”

 

Shaking her head, Rey tightly squeezed her lips in a show of defiance. In response, Loman’s hands moved to squeeze her throat. Her air supply was slowly being cut off, and Rey could feel her face start to grow red. She stubbornly refused to give in; until she could feel herself at the brink of death. 

 

“Okay, okay!” Rey wheezed. Loman’s hands left her throat, and she abruptly fell to floor. Rubbing her sore throat and trying to calm her breathing and give her lungs much-needed air, she glared at the Knight looming above her. 

 

“Good that we sorted that out,” he sneered. “Now come.” Turning around, he started to walk. Rey shakily stood up, having lost all strength after having been choked. She wheezed once more, still feeling weak. 

 

Annoyed at her lack of motion, Loman spun around to glare at her. “Hurry up, will you?” His commanding tone slipped to a sneer. “We’ve got better things to do with your pretty throat and mouth; so don’t get do comfortable.”

 

Rey felt the bile rise in her throat. 

 

\-----------------------------

 

Kylo stayed right where he stood while watching Rey get dragged out of the throne room. 

 

It wasn’t really a shock, honestly. He had expected Snoke to pit him against another enemy. This was not the first time he had done so; Kylo had eliminated all of his past opponents quite quickly, and Loman would be no exception. 

 

But Rey complicated the entire thing. Snoke had said that she would be expected to follow Loman’s orders, something that confused Kylo. Wasn’t she supposed to be only his padawan? What was Snoke playing at?

 

Kylo turned back around to face his master, and knew that he would be getting an answer soon. 

 

Sure enough, Snoke began to speak. “Your suspicions are correct. Yes, I want you to contend with Loman. I don’t want you kill him though; he’s a useful man. I merely promoted him so he could help you in commanding the First Order.”   
  


“Why did you involve my padawan in this?” asked Kylo. “She doesn’t need to listen to him. I am supposed to be her master, not Loman.” Kylo was surprised at how much anger he spoke with, and had to physically take a breath to calm himself. 

 

“Calm yourself, Kylo Ren. I was merely curious about the power she holds over you,” said Snoke, leaning forward in his throne. “She holds your emotions; and challenges the darkness inside by calling out the light within. Now, I can’t allow that, can I?”

 

“So what will happen to her?” asked Kylo, afraid of what Snoke had planned for Rey. Torture? Death? Would she be assigned to another knight to learn under? Possibilities raced through his head at a sickening pace; images of blood and gore. 

 

“You need not worry,” said Snoke. Then, abruptly, he laughed. “She does have quite a strong hold over you! I’ve never seen you so possessive or worried!” Snoke continued to laugh, rearing his head back to chuckle. “I won’t kill her; she’s too valuable and powerful. I merely asked Loman to encourage her to the dark side, using stronger methods. You’ve been too gentle with her, and I decided to take action. Every minute that she stays with the Light proves a danger to our mission. She would be a wonderful Sith, but she still considers herself a foolish Jedi.”

 

“Will she be hurt? Physically or mentally?” Kylo asked. 

 

Snoke merely sneered, and leaned back in his seat. “She will go through as much pain as she needs in order to turn her back on the light side.”

 

Kylo froze. He knew that Loman was a cruel and deceptive bastard; who had done unspeakable things to his enemies. So many broken girls walked out of his quarters, some even driven to suicide. Additionally, he was in second place behind Kylo for deaths and punishments dealt to First Order workers. 

 

“Besides,” Snoke continued, “I might even say that Loman has started training her now. Maybe, she’s already in pain.”

 

Kylo didn’t need a further dismissal sign. Turning around, he immediately began walking to the doors. It wasn’t fast enough for him. He broke into a run, his long legs moving in large strides. 

 

“Run, Kylo Ren!” He heard Snoke tease as he ran out into the hallway and far away from the throne room. “Run to your little star!”

 

_ Rey,  _ he said, knowing that Snoke’s power in the throne prevented them from communicating. No doubt she was worrying; he could feel her fear as she was dragged out by Loman. 

 

_ Don’t worry; I’m coming for you. _

 

\-----------------------------

 

“Again!” Shouted Loman. 

 

Sighing, Rey closed her eyes again and tried to build up her mental walls. After dragging her out of the throne room, Loman had took her into a private room to study. He wanted her to make her mental defenses stronger; but after minutes of trying, he started to use more painful methods. He would invade her mind, ruthlessly prying at her memories until she cried out in pain. She was trying, she really was! But no matter how hard she tried, the pain would always continue. 

 

The moment she gathered herself; felt strong enough to raise her walls, Loman attacked. He was so ruthless, not bothering to care about her mental health. 

 

This time, her walls lasted just a little longer before she was on the ground writhing with pain, her mind being torn apart. Loman let the punishment last longer; and Rey knew that he was disappointed. Dangerously disappointed. 

 

She didn’t attempt to rise from the floor. Just moving was painful, so she allowed her body to just lie on the ground. She heard Loman crouch, could feel his disappointment, anger, and frustration radiate off of him in waves. 

 

“Again.”

 

He never said anything but that one word. This time, Rey didn’t want to follow his rules. She didn’t try to erect her mental barrier, didn’t make any motion to defend herself. 

 

Loman sighed, a sound of frustration. “Looks like we’ll have to do this another way, then. It seems that your motivation is not strong enough.”

 

Rey expected more pain, more punishment and screams and mind-twisting. Instead, Loman brought her head up to his and smashed her lips into a forceful kiss. 

 

Rey screamed, not expecting him to kiss her so suddenly and forcefully. He wasn’t gentle like Kylo. This kiss was pure lust, no romance or love at all. And it made her angry. So angry that her vision began to blur in red. 

 

Loman broke the kiss, and immediately distanced himself from her. 

 

She held disgust in her eyes. But in Loman’s eyes, she saw nothing but pride. 

 

“Good, little star, good! Use your hate!” He sounded like a maniac, his voice so enthusiastic that Rey winced at his energy.

 

Rey felt him begin to stab into her mind. She growled, and immediately threw up her personal barriers. No. Not this time. He would not get to hurt her again. He would not get the satisfaction of hearing her scream, of hearing her beg for mercy. Who was he, to think that he could hold her down?

 

Her walls were so strong and swiftly raised that the pure force of them actually sent Loman staggering backwards. His invasion into her mind ended, and she sighed at the presence of peace. No more pain; no more torture. 

 

“You’re finally understanding the dark side, my padawan,” said Loman. “Give in to your emotions! Your hate, your anger, your dark lust, use it all! It is all power, all part of the great energy that is the Force!” He was practically cackling; so proud that she had finally mastered how to use her emotions. 

 

“I’m not your padawan,” Rey growled, “I’m Kylo Ren’s padawan.”

 

Immediately, Loman’s face fell back into the dark expression that she was so used to seeing on him. He closed the distance between them in a few quick strides, and forcibly dragged her up, suspending her in the air. 

 

“I am your master now,” he angrily said, “and you will follow my orders! Supreme Leader Snoke practically handed you to me; and I will shape you into the perfect warrior you were born to become.”

 

“You know nothing of me!” Rey shouted. “I don’t want to be a warrior! I’m a Jedi, not a Sith!” She was so angry, so blinded by hatred. 

 

When Loman responded, it wasn’t the cruel tone she had expected. He spoke calmly, and with purpose. “No, it is you who know nothing. You know that you are the manifestation of the Force, yes? It doesn’t matter if you don’t want it; your destiny is to become the greatest warrior that the universe has ever seen. Darth Vader started this destiny, and you are to complete it.” 

 

“I will never fall to the dark side!” Rey shouted, kicking her feet in the air as Loman still held her in the air. His hand had moved to her throat, and she was struggling for air. 

 

“We’ll see. You are giving in to your emotions; the path to the dark side,” he said. He sounded so smug that Rey dearly wanted to kick him in the face. “I was present during your duel with Kylo Ren, and I saw your power. I could feel your energy; it was like a drug.”

 

He was caressing her cheek now, staring at her hungrily. “Use that energy, turn your emotions and feelings into power, and you will the most powerful Sith to have ever existed in the entire history of the universe!”

 

Rey never got to respond. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get air! Her hands furtively clawed at her throat, trying to pry Loman’s unmoving hands away from her windpipe. But he was unmovable, more solid than a stone wall. 

 

She slipped slowly and painfully into the darkness. It hurt so much, but the relief of finally slipping away was so wonderful and comforting that she sighed with happiness. Before the darkness clouded her vision, she heard the clear and distinct sound of a door being opened. 

 

“Rey!”

  
The darkness won. She closed her eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaAAANNDD the tension increases
> 
> hang on my babies; this is going to be a wild ride!!!!
> 
> *cackles like a maniac*


	45. Chapter 45

He felt her pain sting through his own body as he ran to find her, and he turned his slow jog into a fast-paced run. She was hurting, and badly. He could feel cold fingers wrapped around his own neck, and he began to panic. He ran even faster, practically pushing stormtroopers and workers out of his way as he made for Rey. 

 

Another wave of pain hit him so hard, a sharp dagger into his brain, that he faltered for a second in his steps. A wave of disgust that was not his own followed, the emotion churning in his stomach. What was Loman doing to her?

 

Finally, he reached the study room where he knew they were having lessons. With one wave of his arm and push with the Force, the doors crashed open. What he saw inside made his blood boil; and his vision turn red. 

 

Rey was suspended in the air, her pitifully short legs kicking furtively in the air. Her tiny hands were wrapped around the bigger pair of hands at her throat, trying desperately to pry them off. Gurgling sounds emerged from her mouth, and Kylo knew that she was struggling to breathe. 

 

Loman was holding her by the throat with one arm, caressing her cheek with his free hand. An odd expression graced his face, a mixture of reverence and anger while seeming totally unaffected by the dying girl he was choking. 

 

Rey’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she gave one last gurgle. Her legs stopped kicking, her arms falling to her sides as her head fell to the side. 

 

Without thinking twice, Kylo ran to Rey and tackled her out of Loman’s grasp. Their two bodies collided onto the floor, and Kylo thanked his lucky stars that Rey was unconscious and oblivious to the pain. Was she breathing? He pressed two fingers to her throat and sighed with relief when he felt a pulse. Setting her down gently on the ground, he turned to face the other knight. 

 

“What did you do to her, Loman?” Kylo asked, not bothering to hide the anger from his voice. This was the tone that imbued fear in the hearts of the First Order generals, the one that made stormtroopers tremble in their boots. But Loman did not falter. Instead, his sneer seemed to grow even larger. 

 

“Merely reminding her of the power of the dark side. You’ve been too hesitant, Kylo. You were too gentle for her,” said Loman. “I know her power, unlike you. I know that she is fit to be a queen; fit to the rule the universe. Her power is raw; pure energy that is just so  _ delicious. _ ”

 

“You were supposed to train her, not kill her!” Kylo heard his voice rise into a shout. “This is not what the Supreme Leader tasked us to do!”

 

Loman huffed with contempt. “Don’t try to lecture me. I’ve talked to the Supreme Leader, and he agreed that I should do whatever was necessary to turn her.”

 

“Including choking her nearly to death?”

 

“Kylo Ren, are you trying to turn against the very law of the Supreme Leader?” Loman’s tone was calm, but Kylo knew that he was seething with satisfaction inside. “It would be most unfortunate,” he continued, “if the Supreme Leader was to discover your hesitation. He might even take away your apprentice if he felt so inclined.”

 

Kylo growled, angry that Loman was right. If Snoke did find out that he had tried to go against Loman, punishment would happen. He didn’t fear the pain that he was now used to, but he was afraid that Rey would suffer. Judging by the broken way her body lay on the ground, she had already suffered enough pain. 

 

Loman was still looking at him with a judgemental glare and Kylo knew he was waiting for an answer. Groaning inwardly at the battle that he could not win, Kylo did the smallest of nods. 

 

Rey whimpered, a tiny but pitiful sound. Kylo walked over to her position on the ground and scooped her up into his arms. He made for the door and brushed right past Loman.

 

“Don’t forget, my fellow brother,” he heard Loman say as he walked out the door. “She has lessons with me again tomorrow afternoon.”

 

Kylo paused his walking, turning to face the knight. “Another lesson? Loman, look at her! You almost killed her! It would be a miracle if she could even walk tomorrow!” Kylo had no more need for theatrics. His voice was desperate as he pleaded with his fellow knight. 

 

“She’s strong. She’ll pull through,” said Loman. “Besides, the Supreme Leader asked me to teach her every day regardless of her condition. Are you once again attempting to go against his rule?” His tone was innocently questioning, but Kylo knew that he relished the fact that he had pinned him into an inescapable hole. 

 

“Fine.” With no more words to say, Kylo walked out the door and far, far away from the room. Far away from Snoke’s plans and Loman.

 

Rey still lay motionless in her arms. Her head lolled backwards, her arms swaying uselessly in the open air. She was helpless; more helpless than when he had held her on Takadona. Dark blue bruises adorned her neck, in the shape of a human hand. Shivering at this disgusting sight of cruel brutality, he made right for his rooms.

 

It was harder than he thought to open the door while carrying Rey. He grunted, and shifted Rey to his right side before hurriedly punching in the code to open the door. The instant it slid open, he ran to the bed to gently lay Rey’s body on the soft bed. 

  
She whimpered as he lay her down on the soft mattress. The sound of it broke his heart; and he felt his heart break. 

 

What was Snoke thinking? Loman would break Rey past all repair. Maybe that was what Snoke wanted; another perfect little puppet to fulfill his evil deeds. He imagined Rey, a Sith dressed in dark robes. Dead eyes, a monotonous voice. Slaying hundreds of her friends without even blinking. Dying slowly, broken and used. 

 

Kylo clenched his fist in anger and punched at the nearest wall. The plaster cracked, paint flakes drifting down to his feet. Knuckles bloody, he punched again. And again. It used to be that pain was his friend. A distractor, a tool in which he could generate his anger and pain. But with every punch of his now, he felt more conflicted. With every drop of blood that rolled down his knuckles, he felt like a lost soul drifting in the universe. 

 

Rey whimpered again, stirring in her restless sleep. 

 

Unsure what to do with the anger that was still stirring within him, Kylo grabbed his lightsaber before walking out of his room. 

 

A droid beeped down the hallway, and he approached it. “Service droid,” he said, “call a medic to my room.” The droid beeped in response to his command, and started to roll back in the direction that it came from. Unhappy at its slowness, Kylo kicked it, sending it sprawling down the hallway. 

 

“Go faster, damn it!” Kylo yelled. The droid picked itself up and began to roll down the hallway at a faster speed. Watching it disappear out of sight, Kylo concentrated on controlling his breathing. In and out. In and out. 

 

He stalked towards the training area, eager to vent out his anger. Pacing through the hallways at a fast pace was a pastime of his that the employees of the First Order were used to. Dark boots, black cloak, and an imposing attitude. 

 

Walking into the arena, Kylo made his way for the command board. He punched in several commands and stood in the center of the arena to wait for his opponents. Sure enough, just like he had programmed, battle droids began to move out of the entrances. Endless battle rows of them progressed steadily towards him, with their blasters and swords at the ready.

 

He started to slash at them even before they reached him. Reckless and daunting like the weapon he wielded, he jumped right into the thick of battle. His hands moved of their own accord and freed up his mind to think. 

 

_ He had failed to protect Rey from Snoke. _ Another line of droids fell at the hands of his weapon. 

 

_ He had failed to protect her from Loman.  _ One kick of his legs sent the head of a droid flying out into space.

 

_ He failed to keep her safe.  _ One last twirl, and the entire battalion of droids was destroyed in a magnificent show of sparks and metal gore. Silence settled, until the only sound in the arena was his heavy breathing and the occasional screech of breaking metal. 

 

In the absence of battle, he could feel his wounds start to prickle with pain. Blood was staining his robes a deep scarlet once again and his side was beginning to hurt. Breathing heavily, he pressed his hands on the wound to stop the bleeding. 

 

He felt it then. The light flared back up inside of him; a small candle burning quickly to turn into the hottest and brightest flame. Pure starlight, brighter than the sun. 

 

It seemed that Rey had awakened. He could feel her light in him again; filling up the empty hole where his heart should have been. Eager to see if she fared well he walked out of the arena. The destruction he left behind, for he knew that the cleaning crew would undoubtedly get to it soon. 

 

It had been a while since he had allowed himself to channel his inner energy. If he wanted to be precise, it was the first time since he brought Rey onboard the ship. Drifting away in his memory, Kylo punched in the code to his chambers before entering. 

 

A steady beeping alerted him to the presence of the medical staff by the bed. Rey was awake, her back propped up with pillows while a blanket was pulled over her legs to ensure her warmth. Noticing Kylo’s presence, she smiled. 

 

Kylo smiled, happy at just seeing her looking so well. He walked forward to sit in a chair besides the bed. 

 

“Are you okay?” 

 

Rey nodded, but her eyes betrayed her true thoughts. Kylo knew that something was wrong, but he decided to push it after she was better. 

 

The medics were milling about, some checking her vitals while others discussed the best way to treat bruises. A doctor lifted up Rey’s shirt to check her heartbeat, and Kylo growled while shooting up from his seat. 

 

“Watch where you put your hands,” he growled. The poor medic paused, immediately withdrawing his hands. Another medic stepped up to take the task, a woman. Satisfied with the change, Kylo leaned back into his chair, sighing with fatigue. 

 

_ Are you alright?  _ Rey asked him.  _ You seem tired.  _

 

Judging by how she chose to not talk aloud but through their bond, Kylo knew that her throat was too sore to talk. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, smiling at how worried she looked. “Let’s worry about you first. Medics, give me the report.”   
  


“We’ve checked her vitals, sir, and they seem to be in order. The skin on her throat isn’t ripped, but we suspect that her windpipe is now swollen. A few days of rest should heal her up quickly,” said the female doctor that was inspecting Rey’s vitals. 

 

“No need for medicine?” Kylo asked. 

 

“No serious ones are needed. If our Lady desires so, we can prescribe her with painkillers.”

 

Kylo looked to Rey, and she nodded. “Prescribe the painkillers,” Kylo said, “and leave.”

 

The medics bowed, and one of them handed Rey a bottle full of pills before shuffling out the door. The moment the last medic left the room to shut the door closed, Kylo immediately ran to Rey and engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. 

 

_ Ow! Kylo!  _

 

Feeling Rey’s discomfort but also humor, he pulled back from the hug. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Did I hurt your throat?”

 

_ No. At least I don’t think so.  _

 

“That’s good.” Kylo said, sighing with relief and dragging his hand through his messy hair. “What did Loman do to you? All I saw was how he choked you when I walked in.”

 

Rey cast her eyes downward, refusing to meet Kylo’s eyes. Immediately, Kylo knew she was hiding something. “What is it? Don’t be afraid; you know you can tell me anything.”

 

_ Nothing happened,  _ she said.  _ I’m just angry that he choked me, that’s all.  _

 

“Okay. If that’s really all there is.” Kylo tried to sound supportive, but he couldn’t keep a little tint of anger out of his voice. Was she hiding something? Did she really think he wouldn’t find out? Rey fidgeted in her bed, her fingers picking at her nails while her eyes still refused to meet his. Sighing at her stubbornness, he leaned in again to hug her. Only this time, he made sure to be gentle. Rey eventually hugged him back, her hands placed on his strong shoulders. 

 

_ Kylo,  _ said Rey softly. 

 

“Hmmm? What’s wrong?” Kylo thought she might spill her secret. 

 

_ Why do you smell like blood? _

 

Oops. He had forgotten. Pulling away from Rey, he immediately began to undress. His bloody cloak was first thrown into the trash compactor, and his shirt soon followed. 

 

“I’m going to take a shower, okay?” Kylo said. “Why don’t you take some painkillers now?” Rey nodded, opening the bottle and shaking a pill into her hand. Kylo opened a bottle of water and placed it gently into her hands. Throwing the pill into her mouth, Rey gulped down some water. 

 

“Good girl,” Kylo said, leaning down to kiss her on the head. Rey hummed in response, a gentle sound that wouldn’t disturb her throat. “I’m going to shower. I’ll be right back, okay?”

 

Rey nodded at him, and he immediately went into the bathroom. Locking the door, he removed his bloody clothing before stepping into the shower and activating the water. The moment the water turned hot enough, he jumped in. 

 

He just stood under the water for a few minutes and let his mind wander to far-off and distant worlds. Blood dripped off of his body and his wounds, turning into tiny rivers of red that disappeared down the drain. 

 

What was Snoke trying to do? Was killing Loman some sort of ultimate goal that he wanted Kylo to accomplish? Why did he even think that Kylo needed another person to help him in his duties as commander? 

 

Training, he had said. Loman was supposed to help train Rey. Train, or destroy? Closing his eyes, the image of Loman’s large hands around Rey’s delicate throat passed before his eyes. How helpless she had been in the face of darkness, struggling to free herself. 

 

His hands continued to wash his hair

 

Something was off about Rey. She was too subdued. The Rey he knew would be dying to kick Loman in the face, launching herself out of the room to recklessly hunt the knight down. But the Rey lying in his bed now was quiet and obedient, harmed and bruised. 

 

Finished and now clean, he turned off the shower. In the absence of the hot water, he felt cold. Too cold. Kylo shivered at the cold air before wrapping a towel around his waist. 

 

He cleaned up quickly, eager to get in bed after a long day. Brushing his hair, cleaning his teeth, washing his face, and all the other daily routines that had long been a part of his life. Except for the second toothbrush that lay on the sink. And the brown strands of hair that were not his. The hair ties scattered all about on the floor. 

 

Pulling on his sleeping trousers, he unlocked the door.

 

Rey was already asleep, the side effect of the painkillers willing her into a drug-induced sleep. She was in the exact same position he had left her in, obedient even when unconscious. Smiling at how peaceful she looked, Kylo climbed into the bed. 

 

When he climbed under the blankets, he pulled Rey closer to him. She hummed in her sleep and her arms wrapped around his neck before she fell back asleep with a smile gracing her face. Wearing a smile on his own face, Kylo snuggled in closer to Rey and closed his eyes. 

 

That night, nightmares did not haunt his dreams. Rather, dreams of sunlight and sweet melodies. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

The man walked through the hallways, a hood pulled over his face to hide him from wandering eyes. His steps were fast and purposeful and his mind was preoccupied with a mission. He slipped like a shadow through the hallways, his presence always there but his face never see.

 

He reached his final location. A plain, black set of doors that seemed unoriginal and boring. A not-so-notable place, the sort of room that no one would look twice at, a place perfect for his needs. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door with a lazy flick of his hand. 

 

The room was plain, nothing but a few chairs and a tiny desk. But the room served well enough for his purpose. The far wall was made of a giant window; one that overlooked the hangar of the First Order. A man stood in front of it; his silhouette casting a shadow across the room. 

 

The man turned around. Ginger hair. The snarky smile of General Hux. 

 

“Good to see that you made it, Loman. Why don’t you take a seat? I have refreshments if you require them,” said the general, his voice sweeter than sugar.

 

“I’m not here to exchange pleasantries, general. I’m here to discuss business.” Loman quipped. He didn’t have time for the general to suck his ass. Other times, it was laughable, but now it was but a nuisance. 

 

“Very well,” said the general. “Let’s get down to business.”

 

“Good. Have you talked to the grand priestess?”

 

“I have. She says that she can’t destroy the current bond between Kylo Ren and Lady Rey, but she says that it is possible to create a new one,” replied the general. He sounded eager to please, like a young child trying to appease an elder.

 

Loman rubbed the beard on his chin, contemplating the general’s words. So the bond couldn’t be destroyed? But a new one could be made? “What would happen if we bonded? She can’t possibly have two masters. Why don’t we just kill Kylo now?”

 

“We can’t kill Kylo Ren, sadly. Trust me, I would love to,” said the general, sneering at the very mention of Kylo’s name and pronouncing it like it was an infectious disease. “If he dies, Rey dies. And if she dies, so does our plan to gain her power.” 

 

Loman nodded to let Hux know that he understood the reasoning. It was a shame that Kylo couldn’t be killed immediately. With Rey’s power, he would prove to be a formidable opponent. It was best to kill him off immediately. “Alright, if we can’t kill Kylo now, we’ll wait until after the priestess bonds Rey and I together,” said Loman. “She can’t technically die if she’s bonded to two masters.” Yes, Rey might get hurt. But he could still use her power. What were a few physical injuries compared to the power he would weild?

 

“Precisely what I was thinking, my Lord,” said the general, already trying to simper for favor. He walked over to a nearby cart to select a bottle of wine. He uncorked one of the reds, pouring it generously into two glasses. “Let’s toast, shall we, my lord?”

 

Loman gladly accepted the glass that Hux offered him. The two men clinked together their glasses, and raised them in the air. “To power,” said Hux.

 

“To victory,” Loman said. Both men tipped back their glasses to down the wine. Loman, swishing around the liquid in his mouth, walked over the window to gaze upon the many ships docking and taking off from the hangar. Powerful weapons, tools of destruction and death. Tools that he would put to good use. 

 

He finally swallowed the wine and was immediately buffeted by the sweet, rich, and beautiful taste of it. It tasted like power, like energy. Fresh sun beating down on grassy plains. Blood dripping onto the ground. 

  
It tasted like victory and revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WOULD FUCKING LOVE IT IF ONE OF YOU FABULOUS ARTISTS COULD DRAW ANY SCENE FROM MY STORY.... I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER
> 
> like no seriously i would cry rivers of tears and drown in my own happiness. 
> 
> thank you ALL, each and everyone of you, for following me throughout slow updates and writer's block! Comment your thoughts and hit that kudos button!!
> 
> <3 <3 *blows you a kiss*


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey does what she does best; help people. But Hux has to be his annoying, stupid usual self and fuck everything up.
> 
> And Kylo just acts like he usually does. 
> 
>  
> 
> *enjoy!!!!*

Slumbering peacefully, Rey was barely conscious enough to feel the heat of another body slipping into the bed with her. Smiling, she wrapped her hands around Kylo’s neck as he in turn enveloped her tiny waist with his large and strong arms. 

 

She closed her eyes, content. Not even a second later, she fell asleep quickly in Kylo’s warm hold.

 

\---------------------------

 

_ Darker than night yet brighter than the sun. The air was thick, suffocating almost, like food that was too rich and flavorful. She was alone. She couldn’t even scream for help! Her voice wasn’t working! Her arms wouldn’t move, her legs pinned uselessly underneath her.  Helpless and defenseless she stood in the middle of neverending darkness.  _

 

_ Something hissed from within the darkness, something evil. The sound grew ever closer, until Rey could practically feel the hot air on her ear. Shivering, she tried to pull away to no avail. She was trapped, cold hands now wrapping around her wrist.  _

 

_ “Kylo?” Rey asked. “Is that you? Stop playing around! It’s not funny anymore!” The cold hands slid up her forearms, and she shuddered at the feeling. No, this could not be Kylo. His hands weren’t as cold as these ones. “Let me go!” _

 

_ The voice laughed and its chuckle seemed to echo endlessly throughout the darkness. Never ending, bouncing back to her ears for what seemed like hours on end. It wasn’t a coughing laugh like Snoke’s nor a deep one like Kylo’s, but one that seemed full of contempt and arrogance.  _

 

_ “No, that foolish knight isn’t here to protect you.” _

 

_ That voice! It was so familiar! Rey squeezed her eyes, trying to think of who it was that was speaking. A deep baritone, one that she had heard before. Dark, brutal, cruel. Unable to think, she squeezed her eyes until they hurt.  _

 

_ “Still don’t know who I am, princess?” _

 

_ It was like there was a wall in her mind. Solid stone and steel that guarded her memories in an impenetrable fortress blocked her from trying to access her own mind. The voice laughed, seemingly mocking her inability to remember.  _

 

_ “Oh, you poor thing. Here, I’ll give you a hint, hmm?” _

 

_ Rey closed her eyes even tighter, panicking as she could feel the hisses getting closer and closer, seeming to spin around her body. Faster and faster, like a slippery snake circling its prey.  _

 

_ “Come on, don’t be shy. Open your eyes.” _

 

_ Hesitatingly, Rey listened to the voice and opened her eyes. There it was. A face. Not a monster like she had expected to match the voice, but a very human face. A familiar face. She screamed, and something  _ pulled _ at her in the darkness.  _

 

_ Down, down, down, she seemed to fall, straight into the depths of the darkness while booming laughter mixed with hisses, a sort of hellish symphony. She could see the fire waiting to swallow her whole, inviting death. She gave one last scream right before the flame touched the tip of her toe.  _

 

\---------------------------

 

She screamed, expecting to be in hell or the grasps of the devil. Instead, she was lying in a soft bed with a fluffy mattress. A dream. It was a dream. Sighing with relief, she plopped herself back down onto the pillow. 

 

Something was missing. Kylo was gone from his side of the bed. Rey sat up straight into a sitting position and began searching the room for a trace of him. Was he in the bathroom? Changing into his robes? His helmet was gone from his bedside table; a telltale sign that he was gone. 

 

But what was that? A note on the table? Rey extended her hand to grab the flimsy piece of paper. 

 

“Rey,” it read, in a sprawling and beautiful handwriting that could only belong to Kylo. “I’ve gone to take care of business. Don’t bother trying to get up out of bed, you’re too hurt. I’ll be back before noon.” Underneath the short message, he had signed his name. Even his signature was enough to make Rey shiver with want. It was messy, but still more artful than anything she had ever seen. Reckless, like him. 

 

Wait here for him, huh? Screw that! Rey was actually feeling pretty good. Her throat felt way better than the day before, and she lumbered to the bathroom to gaze into the mirror. Yes, the bruises were still there. Tracing a hand over the faded rainbow of purple, blue, and black, Rey knew that they had to stay hidden under as many layers of fabric as possible. 

 

Combing her hair once again into three neat buns, her face started to look presentable. Her neck still remained abused. 

 

Shifting through the wardrobe she finally found a turtlenecked robe that would serve her needs. Removing her sleepwear and shivering at the cold air, she quickly slipped into the robes. They covered her bruises perfectly, hiding them from human eyes. 

  
  


Perfect. She looked presentable, except for one missing element. Walking to the other side of the room, she opened Kylo’s wardrobe. Inside there were his normal outfits, long robes and pristine black boots aligned perfectly on the bottom of the wooden armoire. But the best assets, in Rey’s opinion, were his large trench coats. Thanking  the lords for their kindness, Rey grabbed one and quickly slung it over her shoulders. 

 

It was way too big for her and the sleeves were too long on her arms. But it made her feel safe, as if Kylo’s own arms were wrapped around her. 

 

Something was missing from her whole outfit. Something important. Rey glanced around the room, looking for a glimpse of a familiar silver handle. And sure enough, there it lay on the coffee table near the couches. 

 

Rey walked over to it and picked it up, balancing it in her hand and weighing her options. Did Kylo really leave it for her to use? Had she gained his trust? After all, it had been place in a visible area, kind of too obvious to miss. Looking back at all of Kylo’s characteristics and his personality, he would never carelessly “forget” it on such an open space like the coffee table. She understood his message; that he trusted her. It brought a smile to her face, and she was happy that he was finally gaining a hold on his emotions. One step closer to the light.

 

_ {Trust:  _ _ firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. _ }

 

She clicked her lightsaber into her belt and opened the door to the hallway. 

 

No guards. No stormtroopers. No generals. Nothing. For the first time since she had been brought onboard, she was completely and utterly alone. It would be so easy to just escape, to just take a shuttle and fly far, far, away to Finn, Poe, Leia, and everyone else. 

 

But she had a mission to accomplish. 

 

So Rey walked down the hallway and let her feet, rather than her mind, guide her. This was her first time venturing out of Kylo’s room without him or another guide, and she actually felt kind of lost. But also kind of free. She could go wherever she wanted! Where should she go first? The cafeteria? Food always had a special place in her mind. If she wandered far enough, she would probably smell food. 

 

She kept on walking, looking around at each curious thing. More than once she had tried to open doors to find them locked. Other times she would stare out the windows, gazing at the beautiful stars in the sky. Minutes turned into hours, and she started to feel frustrated at her lack of progress. 

 

Sometimes stormtroopers passed her in the hallway. In-sync steps and synchronized marches, they were formidable. But at each and every one, no matter how normal or indifferent they seemed, she smiled. Who knows? One of them could become the newest Finn. 

 

Generals passed her the most often, more relaxed and loose than usual. Some even struck up small talk, asking her about her accommodations and her trainings. About the wonderful food, the great ships they had in the hangar. Little tips and sneaks for getting around the base quickly. But never about Kylo Ren. Or Loman, for that matter. 

 

Where was the cafeteria? Frustrated, she stomped around the next corner, and found herself in front of the central control room. 

 

People were seated at large computers and tiny tablets. Hands typed away, fingers punching in commands and activating buttons. Loudspeakers on endless repeat, transmitters always activated around the clock. If she had to summarize the room in one word, it would be “busy”. 

 

What else was there to do? Shrugging, Rey walked into the control room. Generals nearby immediately stopped their work to give her a quick salute. 

 

“No need for formalities, guys,” she chuckled. “Just call me Rey, okay?” Truth be told, she felt awkward whenever someone bowed to her. The generals shifted, feeling uncomfortable at the new command. Never before had they had a gentle commander. Hux and Kylo were to be obeyed and feared. 

 

“Well, good to see you then,” said a female general, “Rey. Anything you need?” The woman hesitated on saying Rey’s name, no doubt unused to how it felt in her mouth. No formal title like “my Lady” or “my Lord,” just a familiar and comfortable name. 

 

“Nah. Not really. I’m just looking around,” replied Rey. All thoughts of food and the cafeteria flew from her mind. Rather, she wanted to get to know the people around her. 

 

“By all means, go ahead. If you need anything, just ask and we’ll obey,” said the same female general before turning around and addressing her companions again. Not wanting to bother whatever serious discussion they were having, Rey instead started to walk around the room. 

 

People here seemed almost normal. Not the monsters that she expected the First Order to employ; but rather normal and happy people. In a corner, she could see a couple holding hands lovingly. A tired man seemed to be pouring some sort of juice into his “#1 Father” mug while a woman nearby narrated a story to him. Everywhere she looked, people were being regular people. No bloodthirsty soldiers. 

 

A frustrated shout drew her attention. Just a few feet away, a young man was clutching his hair and glaring down at a piece of paper. Curious, Rey walked forward and tapped him on the soldier. 

 

“Is everything alright?” Rey asked, wincing at how sore her voice sounded. At the sound of her voice, the man immediately paled. 

 

“Yes, my lady. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I’ll get right back to working,” said the man before hurriedly picking up his pencil and turning his face back to the paper. He scribbled no calculations, still seeming as confused as he had been when Rey had been alerted to his presence. His back was tensed, his body language insinuating that he was fearful of her.His voice was still high and Rey knew that he was not yet a man. Poor little boy.

 

“Oh please. Just call me Rey. What’s wrong?”

 

The boy looked up at her with wide and curious eyes. “I’m not bothering you?”

 

Rey snorted. “Of course not. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Perplexed by the sudden turn in events, the boy shifted his paper so Rey could see what he was working on. It was a simple diagram of a ship on some sort of expensive graphing paper. Eraser marks and pencil smudges lined the paper, and more than one crumple adorned the edges. “I’ve been designing the newest model. I just can’t find a place to put the backup generator. With the space I’ve been allowed, I can’t add it anywhere.” Frustrated, the boy once again began to pick at his hair. 

 

“Stop picking at your hair! You’re hurting yourself,” said Rey. Her hand shot up to swat the boy’s incessantly twitching fingers from his head. “Let’s just think this through.” She settled a finger onto the paper and began to trace along the design of the plane. “You’ve already put an engine here, but it’s taking up too much space.”

 

“But I thought engines could only be placed in the back of the plane. If you place it in the front, near the cockpit, it’ll weigh the plane down.”

 

Rey shook her head. “In heavyweight models like this one, that won’t matter. Now, if you move that engine up here, what does that do?”

 

Instantly, the boy’s expression turned into one of understanding. “That’ll free up the wires that I have cluttered back there! Then I can put the backup generator in that place where it’s empty, and I can rewire the existing systems so that they won’t short circuit!” The boy was positively frantic in his speech, revelation hitting him like the giant plane he was designing. He gazed up at Rey with a wondrous expression before quickly grabbing her hand and shaking it vigorously. 

 

“Thank you so much, thank you, thank you!” He said. Rey smiled, patting him on the soldier to reward him for his efforts. 

 

“I believe,” said a voice from behind her, “that you forgot to formally address her.”

 

All conversation in the room ceased. The man pouring his juice lumbered quickly back to his computer to begin working. The couple’s hands separated quickly, fingers once again flying on their keyboards. 

 

Rey didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. Who else could imitate that perfect, snarky tone so well? It belonged to one man, and one man only. 

 

“General Hux,” she said, softly so her throat wouldn’t be disturbed. “It’s nice to see you.” She turned around to face him, to show him that she wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

 

He wasn’t sneering at her this time. No bloody nose either, or ruined face. “It’s good to see you too, Lady Rey,” he said. “Now you, Commander Exan,” his body turned to look at the boy behind her, and his tone grew colder. “Why did you forget to address your superiors without a formal title?”

 

Exan stuttered, his eyes showing his true fear. Feeling sorry for him, Rey stepped in. “I told him to, general. If that settles the discussion, I think we can agree that he cannot be punished for following the command of one of his superiors.”

 

Hux knew she was right. That didn’t stop him from glaring at her. The two commanders glared at each with hatred, and the entire room waited with bated breath to see the outcome? Was Hux going to kill the poor boy anyway? Or was Rey’s reasoning actually going to keep the blood at bay?

 

“I believe you’re correct, my Lady.”

 

The entire room sighed a breath of relief, Exan’s being the loudest. Rey couldn’t hide the smirk from her face. Victory was indeed sweet. 

 

“But Commander Exan did not respond within the acquitted time. The punishment, as written in the command book, is ten whips.” Hux finished talking, a sneer growing on his face as Rey’s slowly disappeared. How many damn rules did the First Order have? Was breathing even allowed?

 

“Then, if that’s the case, I wave his punishment using my command as a superior officer,” she said. If reasoning couldn’t save the poor boy, then perhaps her power could. 

 

“Ah, smart move,” chuckled Hux. “But I could use my power to wave your command.” He stepped closer, and Rey stepped back. She had never realized how tall Hux was. He was at least 6 feet tall, and exuded pure power. Hell, she even had to raise her chin to look him in the eye.

 

Rey snorted. “Please, general, I think we both know that I outrank you in power.”

 

With a loud snarl Hux pounced onto her, she barely had time to fling out her hands in defense before he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her face close to his. He was angry, that she could tell by his sneering mouth and fiery eyes. Cries erupted from the watching audience, some people debating whether or not to take action. After all, it was Lady Rey that General Hux was threatening. But on the other side, Hux’s punishments were to be feared.

 

“Hide behind Kylo Ren’s power all you want,” he said, spitting onto her face.  “But he won’t be in power for much longer, you little scavenger bitch!” He whispered the last word, etching the insult forever into Rey’s mind. With a fierce scream, she conjured up as much of the Force she could to push the general away. 

 

Before she could bring her hands to his face, she was falling onto the ground. Her butt hit the cold metal with a loud thud, and she dug her teeth into her bottom teeth to keep from crying out at the pain. She got back up immediately, ready to kick Hux again in the face like she had done so long ago. But he wasn’t there. 

 

“How DARE you?”

 

She knew that deep baritone voice well. Turning to face the entrance, she saw Kylo standing in the entryway, holding Hux by his throat. The general’s throat was being brutally squeezed, and he was gasping for breath. 

 

“No one,” said Kylo, leaning in until his nose was mere centimeters from Hux’s, “insults Lady Rey. Not even you, general, with all of your so-called ‘power’.”   
  


Bruises were starting to form on Hux’s throats, his breaths becoming more labored. Dark, pruple bruises. Familiar bruises. 

 

“Kylo, stop!” Rey yelled, finally able to propel her feet into action. Up, up, up she ran, until she found herself tugging at Kylo’s strong arm. “Let him go, Kylo! Stop it!” Kylo’s hold was strong, stronger than steel. No matter how she tugged, he wouldn’t move. “You don’t need to kill everyone, don’t you understand?” 

 

She was yelling now, anger coursing through her veins. 

 

“For once in your life, Ben Solo,” she said, noting at how Kylo flinched at her use of his old name. “Don’t give in to your hate!”

 

Hux’s breaths were about to stop. Kylo’s grip on his throat faltered for just a split second, before tightening even more. 

 

“I believe our dear apprentice is right, fellow knight.”

 

Another baritone voice she knew. Frightened, Rey positioned her body behind Kylo’s, trying to get as far away from Loman as she possibly could. There he was; leaning casually on the side wall. Looking normal. 

 

“Good to see you again, little star,” he said, shooting her a casual smile. Rey flinched, hating how he was acting like he hadn’t even tried to choke her the other day. Rey’s hand instinctively held Kylo’s, and she squeezed his hand for reassurance. 

 

That tiny action alone made Kylo release his hold on Hux’s throat. In one fluid and sudden motion the general was soon panting for breath on the floor of the control room, his labored breathing the only sound in the room. 

 

“I had everything under control, Loman. What are you here for?” Kylo asked, his voice cold and uninviting. His hand pushed Rey’s shoulder, nudging her so that she was even further behind him. Rey turned her face away from the scene, glancing instead at the audience. 

 

Everyone’s mouth was agape. With the three, no, four, strongest commanders of the First Order in the same room, there had been so much action. First Hux was tackling Rey, then Kylo Ren was choking Hux, then Loman seemed to apparate from thin air. Not wanting to see any more, Rey buried her face in Kylo’s strong back, breathing in his comforting scent. 

 

“Speak; I haven’t got all day. Your lesson with her isn’t until 17:00.” When he spoke, vibrations coursed down her back and into her cheek. While it was a soothing motion, it did nothing to quell the tiny butterflies of panic in her stomach. Another lesson? With Loman? No! She wouldn’t survive this one! She had nearly died yesterday!

 

Loman chuckled, the sound a harsh knife in her ears. “What, a master can’t stop by to greet his apprentice?” His laughter was the only thing in the room until it ceased. “Come on, little star, don’t be shy. Greet your master like you should.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Rey peeked out from behind Kylo’s back. “Fine. It’s good to see you, Loman Ren.”

 

Loman was still smiling at her, and Rey used all of her willpower to stare straight back. 

 

“Forgetting our manners, aren’t we? Let me give you a hint, hmm?” Loman said. Rey shivered at the last little part, and memories of her nightmare came flooding back. “Really, as an apprentice, you should call me master. I won’t be satisfied until you do, so hurry.”

 

“Fine.” Rey quickly glanced up at Kylo, silently asking for help. But all he did was continue to glare at Loman, and she knew what had to be done. “Fine. Hello, master.”

 

Loman clapped his hands before roaring back his head in laughter. “Ahhh,” he sighed, “that’s like music to my ears. Good job, little star. Good to know you have manners.”

 

And just like that, with no other parting words, he disappeared. One second he was there, and the next, he wasn’t. In the blink of an eye, he had seemingly teleported elsewhere. With his presence gone, all of her willpower collapsed. She gripped onto Kylo’s robes as her knees fell. 

 

“Rey, you can’t keep doing this!” Kylo’s shout was unanticipated, so loud that she could hear the man drop his mug and let it shatter on the floor. “You can’t just walk wherever you want to go! Things like this happen! I told you to stay in your room, but you just couldn’t obey me for once, could you?” 

 

“Kylo, calm down! What’s wrong?” Rey was worried. Something was off with Kylo. 

 

“I can’t stay calm! Whenever I’m gone, you somehow get hurt. I can’t keep you safe if you don’t stay with me, if you don’t obey me. You’re  _ mine,  _ and you can’t keep flying around everywhere like an escaped bird!”

 

“Let’s get one thing straight, Kylo! I came here willingly on my own, and I can leave on my own. No fucking way am I ‘yours’!”

 

She expected a snarky reply. But the moment she finished talking, she found herself being dragged forcibly out of the control room. 

 

She had but a split second to say her goodbyes to the shocked onlookers. With a half-hearted wave combined with a smile, she saluted the entire room before they disappeared from her vision. Blank walls and bleary hallways decorated her vision once again. Kylo was dragging her to their room, a giant storm of fury and anger. 

 

Rey wanted to talk. She wanted to slap Kylo across his stupidly handsome face and yell at him for being so creepily possessive. His? She had been, and never will be, someone else’s thing. She was a person, for god’s sake. She couldn’t be caged like a bird. She needed fresh air, empty skies, endless exploration.

 

But a little part, just a tiny, teensy part of her felt oddly satisfied when Kylo had acted all possessive.

  
What was wrong with her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMMENTS, FEEDBACK?
> 
> FEED THE WRITER THE SUSTENANCE THAT THEY NEED


	47. Chapter 47

Kylo had already opened the door to the chambers. With a hand on her arm, he attempted to forcibly throw her into the room. But before he could, Rey wrenched her arm out of his grasp, using a bit of the Force for strength. 

 

“I can walk in myself, thank you very much.” Without a look back, she walked into the room. She could almost feel Kylo’s confusement and surprise, his anger dissipating for just a quick moment. He walked in behind her and shut the door with a loud thud. 

 

Crossing her arms, Rey faced away from him and made her body posture seem as uninviting as possible. 

 

“Rey, look at me,” she heard Kylo say in his seductively persuasive voice. Oh, how she wanted to run into his strong arms, stand once again by his side. But she would not give in. She would not be weak. 

 

“Rey!”

 

Must. Not. Turn. Around. No matter how cute his voice sounded, she must resist! Rey bit her lip in frustration, using nothing but sheer willpower to hold her back from turning around. 

 

“Rey. Please!”

 

Woah. He said the magic word. Mouth agape in shock, Rey turned around to face Kylo. He didn’t seem angry anymore. His eyes were filled with pure worry and colored a beautifully deep brown. 

 

“I’m sorry for getting angry.”

 

_ {Sorry: feeling distress, especially through sympathy for someone else’s misfortune.} _

 

Rey raised an eyebrow. Was this really Kylo? As if embarrassed, Kylo blushed, a dark shade of red creeping up into his cheeks and reaching his large ears. Unable to contain her humor, Rey laughed. 

 

“Why are you laughing?” Kylo’s voice was becoming more angry again. But Rey couldn’t stop laughing. Chest muscles hurting, voice wheezing, lungs burning with fire. 

 

Finally spent, she stopped chuckling and braced her hands on her knees to look up at Kylo. He was angry again. “No, I’m not laughing at your apology. I’m just laughing at how  _ Kylo Ren,  _ fearless commander of the First Order, is apologizing to a lowly ‘scavenger’!” Finished explaining Rey began to laugh once more. 

 

“Rey!” Whined Kylo, sounding more like a kid than the serious adult he was supposed to be. “I’m being serious; can you just listen?” Rey crossed her arms again and nodded to signal for Kylo to begin talking. 

 

“I’m sorry, okay?” Kylo breathed out the sentence, almost sounding insecure. “It’s just… I feel like whenever you’re not next to me, you get hurt.”

 

“I didn’t get hurt. All Hux did was spout some obnoxious words. I could have easily Force-pushed him away,” said Rey. A little part of her was feeling indignant at Kylo’s low expectation of her. She wasn’t that weak!

 

“I know you could handle Hux. Remember what you did last time?” They both chuckled, remembering how Rey had broken most of Hux’s face. “He was in the infirmary for a long time,” Kylo continued. “Hux, yes. I have no doubt you can kill him. After all, you’re my apprentice,” he said, reaching forward to stroke Rey’s cheek. She hummed with pleasure at his soft hands, and reached up to cup his hand in her own. 

 

They stood like that for a few seconds, just relishing in each other’s warmth before Kylo continued talking. “It’s Loman I’m afraid about. Technically, you’re not allowed to hurt him, because he’s your master.” Kylo scowled at his last word. “But if he does try to hurt you again, tell me, okay?”   
  


Rey quickly nodded at the sight of Kylo’s worried face. From now on, she decided, she would tell Kylo everything. Except for that kiss Loman forced on her. That was private. Very private. She tucked the memory far away in her mind; a poisonous snake that would bite her in the back later. “You don’t need to worry, Kylo,” sighed Rey, “I’ll tell you everything.”

 

“Mmm. Good girl.” Finished his speech, he leaned in for a kiss that Rey gladly reciprocated. Rey groaned, leaning in for more and nipping at Kylo’s lower lip gently. Her blood was still on her broken lip, and she could taste the bitter and iron liquid in her mouth. 

 

Tugging at Kylo’s clothes, she quickly led him onto the bed. Well, more like forcibly pushed him onto the mattress. Kylo’s eyes widened at her sudden desire to lead, but was more than happy to lean back and let her do the work. She tugged slowly away at his clothes, peeling each inch gently off of his godly-sculpted body. While she worked nimbly with her fingers, Kylo worked on her robes. But while she went slow, Kylo all but 

ripped her cloaks off of her body. 

 

“Mm. Someone’s eager,” she giggled. Kylo growled in response, tearing off her clothes with great eagerness until they both lay as naked as the day they were born. 

 

“Hey Kylo?” Rey asked, already reaching down to grab his hard member. Kylo gasped in ecstasy at the deft motions of her soft hands, lost in a distant world of lust.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Give it to me slow.”

 

And he did. 

 

The two lay in the bed afterwards, tangled within each other's arms and the lingering effects of their pleasure. Just two bright stars in the universe, and peace is the only thing that reigns at that moment. 

 

\-------------------------------

 

Finn walked through the hallways of the Resistance’s base, humming as he did so. “New day, new me,” he always told himself. If he could change from a stormtrooper to a rebel, FN-2187 to Finn in a day, trade a cold white uniform for a comfy leather jacket, then he could do anything within a mere 24 hours. He lived by this mantra, chanting it over and over again in his head during his darkest times.

 

_ Anyway,  _ he thought,  _ new day, new adventures with Poe! _

 

Finn was blushing by this lewd thought, and didn’t notice where he was headed. He bumped straight into someone, and he immediately righted himself. “I’m so sorry,” he said, but found himself talking to no one. Who did he collide with?

 

An indignant beep drifted up to his ears. And sure enough, there was BB-8 cursing at him in binary at his feet. 

 

“Sorry, little guy. Didn’t see you there.” Finn attempted to apologize but the feisty little droid shook his tiny head with indignancy. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry,” he chuckled, leaning down to rub BB-8’s antenna with affection. BB-8 purred, and pushed his tiny head further into Finn’s hands. 

 

“Where you going, buddy?” Finn asked. 

 

“Beeep. BOOoop.”

 

“Oh, alright. Hey, tell him I said hi, okay?” BB-8 chirped a small beep in response to his request before rolling down the hallway at a leisurely pace. Plenty of people parted for him, already used to the human-like droid in their presence. Finn sighed with jealousy. He would give anything to be rolling down to Poe like BB-8 right now. But apparently, General Leia requested to see him. And who was he to decline her?

 

She hadn’t asked him to go to the control room. Rather, she wanted him to meet her in the library. And so, Finn found himself opening a tiny door to reveal a room crammed with books. 

 

He had seen the First Order’s library. Huge, commanding, and imposing. Neatly organized shelves with a huge variety of literature. The Resistance’s pathetic excuse for a library was way tinier, but Finn thought it felt more like home. 

 

In the center sat two large plush chairs. They were already occupied, and their occupants were joking and laughing in unison. As a brother and sister should. 

 

“Finn!” General Leia turned around at the sound of the opening door, the ghost of a smile still on her lips. “How good to see you!”

 

“It’s good to see you too, ma’am.”

 

Leia snorted. “Really, Finn. You don’t have to call me general. Makes me sound like an 100 year old woman!” 

 

Across from her chair, Luke Skywalker snorted. “You are an 100 year old lady,” he said, earning him a nice and hard glare from Leia. Clearing his throat and ceasing his chuckling, he turned to face Finn with a more serious demeanor. “Yes, Finn. Come and sit with us.” Luke finished talking and waved his hand in a signature Force move. A chair came zooming through the air to gently be placed next to the other two chairs. Knowing what he had to do, Finn walked forward and sat down. 

 

“I know you were expecting to see only me. As you can see, I invited my dear brother along. I’m sorry for the confusion,” Leia began before being interrupted by Finn’s “don’t worry” and “it’s no problem”s. 

 

All at once, Finn realizes the oddness of this situation. A Jedi master, the leader of a rebel group, and a defected stormtrooper meeting in a disorganized library. It sounded like the beginning of a joke. 

 

“What’s my next mission, General?” he asked. 

 

“Oh no, this is not a mission. You won’t be sent anywhere,” she responded. Finn inwardly sighed. He had been hoping that the general would give him permission to rescue Rey. Obviously this was not the case, as the general continued to talk. “We didn’t tell you something very important, I’m afraid.”

 

Finn perked up. A secret? Was he about to be included into the circle of top Resistance commanders who knew the top secret files? Shifting forward in his seat, he gave his ears to the general. 

 

“We told the entire Resistance base, you included, that Rey was captured by the First Order,” she began. Finn nodded, remembering the tears he had shed when he heard the news. “But she was not captured. She went willingly, equipped with a secret mission that only she, I, and my brother were aware of.”

 

Wait, Rey hadn’t been captured? Finn leaned back in his seat. What a Rey thing to do. Give yourself over to the First Order for the sake of your friends. This was what, the 3rd time she had done it? Honestly speaking, he wasn’t suprised. 

 

“The mission, as my brother told her, was to bring Kylo Ren back to our side.”

 

Finn had already guessed that. Rey always told him that there was light inside of Kylo Ren, but he wasn’t so sure himself. After all, he had been subject under his role. He knew how cruel he could be. Had witnessed his tantrums firsthand, the buzzing of his lightsaber forever implanted in his mind. 

 

“But how is she going to do that?” Finn asked. “It’s not like Kylo’s just going to follow her without putting up a fight.”   
  


This time, it was not the general who responded, but rather, her brother. “We know that he won’t just come home in a second. Rey is correct, as you assumed.” Finn lept back in his seat. Did Luke read his mind? “There is light inside of him. It is but a seed, and Rey has to nurture it back into the giant tree that it once was. Once Ben is back in touch with the light, he will come back. I’m sure of it.”

 

Finn noticed how Luke called Kylo ‘Ben’. But Kylo’s own mother didn’t even call him that. 

 

Finn absently nodded. “Okay, I get that. But why am I here?”

 

“We just wanted you to know about the mission. We’re sorry for withholding the information; but we couldn’t let the knowledge get to the First Order. After all, there are unwelcome eyes and ears, even in the very heart of the Resistance,” said the General, no doubt remembering the catastrophe of the base last time.

 

“There is more to the mission than just letting Rey drag Kylo back,” said Luke, a solemn tone to his voice. “See, the opposite could happen. Kylo could convince Rey to the dark side, and the Resistance would have no hope in freeing the universe from the First Order.”

 

Finn shivered as an image of a black-clad Rey floated before his eyes.

 

“I’ve decided that we should try to contact Rey. Give her support, show her that everything is alright and her friends are okay. God knows she needs it,” Luke finished. “Now give me your hand and close your eyes.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Do you want to see Rey or not?”

 

Finn placed his hand in the old Jedi’s, feeling rebuked. He placed his hands into Luke’s and closed his eyes until all he saw was darkness.

 

“Good. Now, don’t be alarmed at what’s about to happen,” Luke said. The moment the last words left his lips images began to flood into Finn’s mind. A planet of endless desert, different from Jakku. A younger General Leia with distinctive side buns. An old, kind man handing him a lightsaber. Memories that were not his own. At the same time, he knew that his own memories were being passed through Luke’s eyes. Poe’s face. BB-8. Every intimate touch of his. 

 

“You’re handling this quite well, really,” said Luke. “I’m going to call Rey. You’ll feel her join us, become a part of our connection. All you have to do to talk to her is think.”

 

Finn let his feeling of understanding flow through their connection. Luke began to call Rey, and Finn could feel her consciousness start to flow into the connection. She was like a bright light, shinier than the purest gold. But something was different from the strong woman he had last seen; a tiny bit of darkness. Small, but still formidable. 

 

_ Hello, master. Finn! Hi! _

 

_ Rey! How are you? _

 

_ I’m good. Don’t worry about me. I’ve already..ah… tempted… Kylo to the light. He’s already gaining a hold on his human emotions.  _ Rey directed her words to the Jedi beside him.  _ Master, he’s remembered the lessons of truth and being sorry! _

 

Finn could feel happiness resonating from Luke. It seemed that Rey was proving quite successful in her mission. 

 

_ How’s everything at the base?  _ Rey asked. 

 

_ It’s good. Poe took me to the cutest date spot yesterday! _

 

He could almost see her roll her eyes and do that weird laugh which crinkled her eyes.  _ Tell me all about it when I get back, okay? I’ll see you soon! _

 

Oh. That was his cue to leave. Opening his eyes, he saw Luke give him an ever subtle nod. Finn sighed, upset to have such little time to talk to Rey. There was so much he wanted to tell her about! He closed his eyes quickly to talk to her again and not waste any precious time. 

 

_ See you soon, Rey. I love you! Stay safe! _

 

He had barely been able to give her a goodbye before the connection was cut off. When he next opened his eyes, Leia was looking at him expectantly. She motioned towards the door before making a shushing noise. Understanding what she wanted him to do, he quickly and quietly made his way to the door with the general close behind him. 

 

She closed the door quietly and began to talk. “I take it that you enjoyed talking to Rey again?” When Finn nodded, she chuckled. “I’m sorry that you couldn’t talk to her longer. Luke’s in there giving her more technical information and sort of giving her last-minute advice.”

 

Finn understood. More Jedi and Force-y things. “Well, can’t she just use the Force to destroy the First Order base and bring Kylo back?”   
  


Leia laughed. “That’s not how the Force works!” She said. A brief memory flew into Finn’s mind. Han Solo. Father. Advice-giver. Sassy old man. Chewbacca’s friend. Kylo Ren’s father. Finn gulped, pushing away the memory so that his friend could rest peacefully. He was a good man. 

 

“Yes,” said Leia, a knowing smile on her face. “He was a good man. A scoundrel, but the very best.”

 

\-------------------------------

 

“Are you ready to go?”

 

Rey finally finished zipping up her cloak before responding to Kylo. “Yeah. I’m good. Let’s do this.” She waltzed up to where he stood and went on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. He was so tall that he had to bend down to let her kiss him. 

 

“Cleaning droid to my room.” Kylo quickly spoke into a nearby radio transmitter. Rey blushed, glancing back quickly to look at the messy sheets. 

 

“Let’s go,” he said, placing a hand onto the small of her back before leading her out the older door. Before being led out the door, Rey quickly removed her hairbands from her hair and allowed the beautiful, hazelly color of it to flow down her back. 

 

Kylo stopped walking. Frowning, Rey turned around to see what was wrong. Nothing really. Kylo was just looking at her with hungry eyes, like a blind man seeing the sun. A starved man finding water. Like she was a necessary need. 

 

“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, drawing close to her to give her a hug. Rey hummed in response, happy that Kylo was happy. It was infectious; whenever one of them was happy. It flowed like energy through their bond, the sweetest thing that she had ever known. 

 

“I love you,” he said, making Rey freeze right where she stood. Love? He loved her? Yes, she knew that he held great affection for her. But hearing the words actually come out of his mouth was surreal. 

 

“I love you too,” she replied, leaning up to give him another kiss on the cheek. “Now, let’s go. I don’t want to be late for my lesson with Loman.” Kylo nodded in response, a solemn expression gracing his face. 

 

She didn’t want to go to Loman. 

  
But she didn’t want to seem weak. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> awwwww what a happy bloodthirsty couple <3<3<3<3
> 
> Thoughts?


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snoke does what he does best:
> 
> FUCKS SHIT UP

Finn. Leia. Luke. Poe. BB-8.

 

She really hoped that her friends were alright. When they had contacted her, Kylo was in the bathroom. She had hid the conversation from him; locking it behind her own defensive walls. Would he be angry if he found out?

 

Finn. He was really too sweet. Rey had felt his fear when they communicated. Images of horrific torture, interrogation techniques used by the First Order. Relief, but also confusion, at finding out that she was unhurt. 

 

Would Kylo ever hurt her that way? Would the First Order ever kill her if she became useless? She quickly glanced to look up at Kylo’s face, scared of the possible scenarios that could take place in her future.

 

Rey realized that people were feeling more comfortable around her now. As she walked down the hallway alongside Kylo, multiple generals and even workers stopped to greet her with familiar smiles which she gladly returned. To them, she was just Rey. But the man alongside of her was the formidable and frightening Kylo Ren. 

 

“Nice to see you too, General Kina!” Rey said, nodding and waving to the elder woman who disappeared down the hallway. A smile still on her face, she continued to walk. Kylo was gazing at her and his eyes were practically boring a hole in her face. She turned to face him. 

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

 

“You’re a queen. You know that?” Kylo said, bewilderment in his voice as Rey chuckled. “People here love you. They practically worship the ground you step on,” he said. While he was talking, another person had waved a greeting to Rey. She eagerly waved back, and flashed a quick smile. 

 

“Oh, shut up. I’m not a queen,” Rey said, laughing at how stupid it sounded. Her? A queen? Yeah, right. 

 

Kylo scoffed. “You have no idea what effect you have people, do you?”   
  


Rey felt confused and looked at him with an odd expression. “What do you mean by ‘effect’?” Her face slowly changed to horror. “Oh no! Did I hurt someone by accident? What did I do? Tell me!”

 

Kylo rolled his eyes. “See? That just then is proof. You worrying about everyone and whatnot.”

 

“Aren’t I supposed to worry? After all, we’re all people. We have the same rights. We’re supposed to help each other.”

 

Kylo shook his head at her response and sighed. “I can’t put it in words. Here, close your eyes and I’ll show you.”

 

Rey obeyed him, shutting her eyes and waiting for Kylo to send something through their bond. 

 

_ Images of her flashed so quickly though her head that she felt dizzy. Her smile, the way her eyes crinkled every time she laughed. _

 

_ Talking with friends. Their smiles. Their happiness.  _

 

_ Her gentle touches with Kylo. A hand on his cheek, an arm draped across his shoulder. She could feel his happiness, could feel the pure light that she emitted. She swore that she had angel wings.  _

 

_ She was drowning in her light. Oh, wasn’t that so ironic? So cliche? So totally overused? _

 

_ But Kylo Ren didn’t think she was cliche. She could feel what he felt every time she touched him. An overwhelming happiness; like an entire ocean full of a deep lilac-colored happiness. A thousand heavenly choirs singing from the heights of heaven above.  _

 

_ And underneath all of that, a deep hunger. A famished beast, growling at the light. Death himself, trying so hard to kill the light but being so entranced by it. Skeletal hands, touching her bright skin and hissing at the pain of touching such an angelic creature. A famished beast, wanting more of the light; more, more, more! _

 

She snapped out of it. Kylo was looking at her and expecting a reaction. 

 

“Oh,” she said, breathless as her mouth opened in surprise. “Wow. I’m, uh, sorry?”

 

Kylo laughed bitterly. “Don’t be. I don’t regret a single moment of it. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing.” He sighed in frustration. “It’s just, whenever you touch me, I get this weird  _ pain. _ ”

 

Rey’s eyes widened. “So every time I touch you, I’m hurting you? Oh my Forces! I’m so sorry, Kylo! Do you need to go to infirmary?”

 

Kylo merely smiled gently. “It’s not a bad pain. It’s like a  _ tingling,  _ like what desire would feel like in a physical form.”

 

Rey tilted head. What would that feel like? Frankly, she had no idea. Kylo’s hand moved to caress her cheek. 

 

“I don’t care. I love you. Never change, Rey,” he said.

 

“I wasn’t going to,” Rey softly responded. She slowly wrapped her hands around Kylo’s neck while his hands entwined behind her waist. Slowly, surely, torturously and painfully wonderful, they kissed. 

 

Kylo was the first to break it. His forehead touched hers, and he closed his eyes and sighed in happiness. 

 

His scar. She had once thought that it was an ugly reminder of Starkiller base. A tribute to the past, a disgusting thing that ran across Kylo’s face. But now, it was somehow beautiful. Her fingers traced it, running through the deep crevice and the pink skin. Memorizing each and every bump and line like it was the last thing she would ever do. As she did so, Kylo’s eyes fluttered like butterfly wings, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his cheekbones like tiny whispers of darkness. 

 

A god. Her own Adonis. 

 

Someone coughed, and Rey immediately jumped back to her original position. Kylo took his normal intimidating pose at her side, his cold demeanor snapping back quickly. Of course. He had to look the part of the First Order commander. 

 

Ugh. Of course it was Loman. Who else would be capable of ruining such a perfect moment? Rey scowled, and unconsciously shifted so that her body was half hidden behind Kylo. 

 

“Yes, Loman. What’s wrong?” Kylo asked. Rey noticed the arrogance and contempt in his voice, as the tension in the air of the small hallway increased. 

 

“Nothing, my brother,” he responded while smiling at Kylo. “I was merely roaming the halls.” His smile turned to face Rey, and she immediately shivered. She swore she saw his eyes flash red for the smallest fraction of a second. “It’s good to see you too, apprentice. Does it not please you to see me?”

 

Rey bit back her pride. “It’s good to see you, Master.” She kept her voice placid and toneless, not a single hint of the anger and hatred churning sickeningly in her stomach showing in the way she spoke. The bruises on her neck began to tingle ever so slightly.

 

Loman smiled, no doubt satisfied with Rey’s obedience. “Good, good. Well then, it’s already 15:00, and you were supposed to meet with me for another lesson at 15:30. What say you that we get started nice and early?”

 

Rey gulped and was unsure of what to say. Obviously, Loman wanted her to go with him and learn. Only problem was, she didn’t want to go with him. And judging by the tight squeeze of Kylo’s grip, he didn’t want her to leave. 

 

“I have no objection, master,” Rey said. Kylo immediately squeezed her hand tighter, making her regret her decision. But she must not be afraid. She must not let her fear show. She must retain her bravery and her pride. 

 

“Good,” said Loman, smiling. “Well then; let’s get started. Follow me, honey.”

 

Honey? What was that word? Well, at least he wasn’t calling her “starlight” like he used to. Knowing that she would soon be gone, she quickly lifted herself to her tiptoes and kissed Kylo right on his cheek. She didn’t see the way his cheeks blushed. She didn’t hear the sloppy sound of her lips breaking contact with his cheek. 

 

And she definitely didn’t notice the way Loman flinched. 

 

_ I love you, _ Kylo said. 

 

_ I love you too.  _

 

It was a simple goodbye. The way she liked it. Not too clingy with the perfect amount of sadness. Kylo shifted, and turned to face Loman. “I leave her in your hands. I hope that you’ll take good care of her,” he said. Under his disguisedly calm tone, Rey could make out a threat. 

 

“No need to fear,” Loman said. “I’ll keep her safe and unharmed.”

 

One second he was leaning against the wall with his usually snarky tone, and then he was gone. Rey blinked with confusion. Was this a trick of the Force? Some sort of teleportation device? Where had he gone? Away forever?

 

No. He was behind her. She could feel hands on her shoulders, his hot breath ruffling her hair like the soft wind. A monster; that’s what he was. A monster with claws and disgusting breath. And she was the prey. 

 

“We’ll be taking our leave. Come now, sweetheart.”

 

Ew. What was with all the sickening names? Rey couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable, and the feeling increased as she could feel Loman tug her down the hallway. She shot one last look over her shoulder, fighting against Loman’s strides for one last look at Kylo. 

 

And she was rewarded. A glimpse of warm, brown, eyes, a worried face, before she rounded the corner and Kylo disappeared from her sight. 

 

“Master, take your hands off of my shoulders.”

 

No response. His hands seemed to dig even deeper into her shoulder and she winced at the pain. They felt like claws. 

 

“Loman! Please!”

 

He paused in his strides, stopping suddenly in the middle of the hallway. One hand lifted from her shoulder and Rey sighed in relief. But the sigh quickly turned into short breaths of panic, when Loman suddenly grasped her chin. He tilted her head so that he could look into her eyes, forcing her neck into an unnatural and uncomfortable position. 

 

She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t stare at the ceiling or close her eyes. Her only option was to stare right in Loman’s face, to focus on his unnatural yellow eyes.

 

“Never,” he said slowly in a voice laced with anger, “call me by my name. To you, I am your master and nothing else.”

 

Rey was frozen in place. No, this was not like when Kylo had held her still in the forest of Takadona. He had been somewhat gentle, allowing her to blink and breathe, and for her muscles to remain relaxes. But this was different. She was literally frozen. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. 

 

“Do you understand?” Loman asked. 

 

How could she respond? Her mouth wouldn’t even open! Panic surged inside of her; a giant tsunami that was washing away all of her reasoning and logic. She felt so trapped; like a bird flying furtively around an iron cage. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’t even  _ think _ !

 

Then, thank the Forces, she felt air flow into her lungs and she gasped for the much-needed air. Her muscles were finally working again, her eyes able to blink. 

 

“Do you understand?” He asked her. 

 

Rey nodded her head, hating herself as she did so. Oh, she would have loved to slap him in the face or give him a nice kick. But the bruises on her neck were a reminder of her punishment, and she didn’t want to gain more. 

 

“Good answer.” Loman replied. His hand slipped off of her cheek and her shoulder was finally freed from his grasp. Rey rubbed her shoulder, wanting to get the lingering feeling of his hands on her off. Even a scalding hot shower wouldn’t be able to clean her cloak. 

 

“Now let’s go,” he said, walking past her and moving down the hallway. “We’ve wasted time already.” He walked quickly, even faster than Kylo. Sparing a moment to glare at him, she followed. 

 

As they walked, Rey noticed how  _ odd  _ it felt to be silent. Usually, when Kylo accompanied her, they would talk about something. If they didn’t talk, they argued. If they didn’t argue, they joked. Maybe they would talk through their bond, practice flexing their minds. But with Loman, it was just eerie silence. 

 

People passed them in the hallways. Stormtroopers in neat formations. Workers hurrying to their stations. Oftentimes a familiar face would pass, and Rey would smile in greeting. More often than not, they would downcast their eyes to the floor and back away as far as possible from Loman. 

 

Even Kylo didn’t have that effect on the people. 

 

They rounded countless hallways. For each of Loman’s steady strides, Rey had to practically run. Why such a hurry? Was this an exercise that would make her stronger? No doubt she would have killer calves by the end of the day. 

 

Judging by the sounds of battle that reached her ears, Rey knew her destination. And sure enough, the sparring hall came into view when she rounded another corner. Only this time, it was not empty. Knights of all ages and gender littered the field, some sporting lightsabers and others dealing blows with their fists and feet. 

 

One knight went down, screaming as he clutched at a new burn on his arm. Rey winced, her ears being pierced by the poor man’s harsh cry of pain. 

 

As if sensing her discomfort, Loman chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn to love the pain sure enough.” Finished speaking, he slid something into her palm. 

 

It was her lightsaber. She heard the distinct buzz of another one activating, and she lifted her gaze to see Loman sporting a red lightsaber. 

 

Whereas Kylo’s was reckless, cracked, and unstable, Loman’s was the pure image of stableness and control. He held it, unmoving, in front of his chest. It buzzed with power, its red light casting a shadow onto the ground and heating the air around it with hot sizzles. It was frightful thing; how calm and composed he was. Whilst Kylo was a storm looming on the horizon, Loman was an earthquake ready to strike at a moment’s notice. A monster hidden in the shadows; waiting and lurking for the opportune moment to seize his prey. Strong, but cowardly. 

 

“Prepare yourself, Rey,” Loman said. It was the first time he had said her name, and it sent shivers down her spine. She slid her feet into the standard defensive position, focusing her breathing and pretending that Kylo was helping her. His strong hands fixing her posture, his deep voice commanding her to shift her legs wider. 

 

Loman lunged. 

 

She launched herself forward. 

 

\-------------------------------

 

As he stood in the throne room, talking to Snoke, Kylo felt her pain. Felt the angry bruises start to appear on his left arm. The burn that would no doubt scar suddenly appear on his chest with a bright flash of pain. Blood pooling into his cloak and staining his clothes. 

 

“Do you understand?” Snoke asked him. 

 

What had they been talking about? The Resistance? New border patrol schedules? Kylo had no idea. During this moment and the entire meeting beforehand, his thoughts had been with Rey and only Rey. He had been riding her emotions, like a little ship being tossed around by an angry sea of anger, hate, and fear. 

 

“I’m sorry Sir, I lost my focus,” he said, ready to accept his punishment. But instead of scolding him and delivering justice, Snoke instead leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers. 

 

“Her pain. Do you feel it?” Snoke asked. Kylo nodded in response. A smile grew on Snoke’s face. “Loman Ren is training her very well indeed. Progress is happening. Soon, the little girl will be fit to rule as queen. If not a queen, then probably a breeding-vessel. If she does resist, we can always breed her by force.”

 

Kylo should feel proud. Should want to celebrate Rey’s future. But some part of him hated Snoke, wanted him to suffer for trying to manipulate Rey into some sort of weapon. A part of him that had stayed hidden for a long time. A part of him that he thought was dead. 

 

“Go, Kylo Ren. Meditate. I sense your inner conflict.”

 

Kylo practically ran out of the throne room. The moment he passed the doors, his helmet came off. It dropped to the ground, the heavy thud resonating off of the walls. 

 

_ …..We can always breed her by force….. _

 

_ …..breeding vessel….. _

 

Kylo took his head in his hands. 

  
_ Oh, Rey, what have I done? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES MY LITTLE LOVELIES WE FINALLY BROKE 100,000 WORDS
> 
> REYLO4EVER AND EVER AND EVER
> 
>  
> 
> *i love you all and thank you SO MUCH for reading and supporting me!!!!*


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did he deserve her? Or did she deserve him?
> 
>  
> 
> SMUT ALERT WOOOHOOO GET HYPED

Kylo finally managed to calm himself down enough to slip on his helmet. Shakily, with trembling hands, he managed to finally slip on the black mask. It gave him anonymity, a screen from behind which he could hide his true face. Hide his scar. Hide his conflicting feelings. 

 

He should feel comfort from the helmet. But now, he felt like he was suffocating. Felt like the black mask was a slippery snake strangling his neck. Felt like a monster. Shouldn’t he be feeling powerful? Like a commander of the First Order? Why, then, did he feel inferior to the lowliest of the lowly stormtroopers?

 

Another thought tugged at his mind. Snoke had said that Rey could be used as a breeding vessel. Like a common whore. He felt sick. Spinning around, with a flourish of his cloak, he made his way to the infirmary. 

 

And sure enough, she was there. Doctor Melania stood in a corner with her back facing him. He quickly stalked forward and waited patiently for her to notice him. 

 

“Thank you, droid unit 1893. Take this back to the patient in the southwest corner, okay?” She said, and turned around. Recognition bloomed in her eyes as she tilted her eyes to look at Kylo. “Oh my,” she chuckled, “you’ve grown! Well, what can I help you with, my dear boy?”

 

Kylo gulped and prepared himself to say his next words. “It’s good to see you too, doctor,” he began. “I’m not physically hurt. Nor is Rey. But, um, I was just...wondering, if you have forms of,” he winced in preparation, “a contraception device?”

 

Doctor Melania’s eyes grew wide with apprehension. “Contraception,” she said slowly, “as in preventing pregnancy?”

 

“Yes.” Kylo’s answer seemed to outside ears to be well-versed and strong, but inside of his helmet, he was actually sweating a storm. So embarrassing!

 

The Doctor smiled with a knowing smirk, one that she gave him every time he told her the reason for his injuries. Tripping on a table, or actually sparring with a partner? A harmless burn from cooking, or the mark of a lightsaber?

 

“Not to worry,” she said. “I have exactly what you need. Follow me.” She turned around and walked down to a cabinet, sliding open the door to reveal a large assortment of pills. Rummaging around, and pushing aside the bottles to reveal a large box in the back, she quickly took out what seemed to be a medicine container. And inside, were needles. Long, pointy, sharp little blades. 

 

“Everything you need to prevent pregnancy is in this tiny little chip,” she said, tapping on the needle to point out what seemed to be a tiny little data chip inside the needle’s inner tube. “All you need to do is inject this into the soft tissue of the subject. It’ll stay put, for up to 6 months. After that, I suggest that the subject visit me to get the chip removed and a new one installed.”

 

Kylo nodded, taking note of all that she had said. He carefully took the needle, making sure to remember all of the dates and to not contaminate the needle’s fragile container. Thanking the doctor, he shuffled out of the infirmary to avoid her knowing gaze. 

 

He quickly paced back to his chambers. Every second in his mask felt like an eternity, each breath feeling like hot coals driving deep into his lungs. It was weighing him down, the weight of it making him feel like a thousand starships were piling down onto his shoulders. The weight of a thousand miseries, the screams of millions of killed souls. 

 

It was a miracle that he managed to make it back to his room in one piece. Inside of the helmet, he was sweating a river, his eyes twitching nervously and his breaths coming out in fast bursts. 

 

Never had he been so fast in removing his helmet. And never had he emerged from it with a sweaty, pale face that had seen better days. 

 

“Woah.”

 

He turned to face the noise, instinctively reaching for the lightsaber hilt at his waist. Who was it? Hux? No. He couldn’t show his face to anyone. Not in his current condition. It would compromise his position as commander, show the workers that he was not the cruel monster that they believed him to be. But he needn’t have worried. It was just Rey. 

 

She had been reclining on the couch, reading a holo-book. Seeing him, she shut off the electronic device in her hands and raised herself into a sitting position. Wincing. Clutching at her side. “Are you okay?” She asked, as if Kylo was the one hurt. As if he was the one sparring with Loman. As if he was the one who had been attacked with a lightsaber. Why did she care so much for him? Why did she have to be such a gentle, little piece of starlight? Why did she, practically a goddess, worry herself with his dark and violent affairs?

 

She was too beautiful for him. In one sweeping motion, he walked quickly to the couch and promptly kissed her. 

 

\---------------------------------

 

She didn’t see that coming. She barely had time to instinctively scream and try to cover her face with her hands before Kylo grabbed her wrists and forced them down to her waist. How could she fight him? His hands were so big, so strong. He was not to be denied.

 

He brought his mouth to hers. And kissed her. 

 

She saw stars. Constellations exploding in her head. Fireworks going off in the background like some cliche romance novel. Was that a choir of angels singing in the background? Or just her delusional mind?

 

He kissed her, with such great strength that it knocked her backward. It hurt, yes, but in the midst of the kiss, the pain turned into pleasure. Kylo was invasive, pushing into her mouth with pure force. Sneakily, stealthily, his hands moved from her waist to grip onto her shoulders. He pulled her forward into him, and her hands moved up to rest against her chest. 

 

She needed to breath!

 

So, with one giant push, she gave all her strength and shoved Kylo away. He stumbled away from her and she quickly gulped in a few greatly-needed breaths of air. Loman had already bruised and beaten her body, plus choked her in the hallway. And now, Kylo was about to kill her with kisses. 

 

“Woah,” she said, wiping her mouth, “are you okay?”

 

Kylo didn’t respond. He just pulled her closer to him and began to kiss her once more. Only this time, he was gentle. He made sure to allow her to breath. It felt like a lover’s kiss, one that a husband would give to his wife after a long day at work. A kiss for another universe, another time, another couple.

 

When they finally pulled apart again, Rey was not the only one who was flushed, a bright pink color on her cheeks.

 

“Are you okay?” Rey asked again. “I’m not saying that was bad. It was great,” she said, grinning. “Just…very unexpected.”

 

Kylo sighed with such tension that Rey wanted desperately to hug him. “I’m fine,” he said. “Today was just a tough day.” He wrapped his arms around Rey and dragged them both down until they hit the couch. Their legs tangled together, fingers entwined. “How about you?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He sighed again. “Rey, don’t lie. I felt your pain. Hell, I even have the same exact injuries you got from Loman.” He lifted his shirt, and Rey winced at the scar on his side. Not because it was an ugly shade of red, but because it was identical to hers. 

 

“No, seriously. I’m okay. Nothing a good sleep won’t fix,” Rey said, fidgeting uncomfortably at the knowledge that she had inadvertently hurt Kylo. Did he really feel everything? Oh, she hoped to the heavens above that he didn’t. 

 

“Stop lying to yourself Rey,” he continued in an exasperated sigh. “You really think that you can just sleep this off? Trust me, I know from first-hand experience that burns don’t fade away in a matter of hours.”

 

Rey rubbed her arms. Well, what was she supposed to do? Run to the infirmary every time she got a little scratch? People would think she was weak. And as a lamb in a den of wolves, weakness would prove to be her demise. 

 

“Where’s that burn ointment the doctor gave you last time?” Kylo asked. 

 

Rey had completely forgotten about that. “It’s in the table drawer. I think I’ll go put some on after my shower. Shouldn’t you put on some too? I know you’ve got the same burn as me on your left shoulder,” she said. 

 

“Good idea. I’ll do it,” he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “I got you another medicine from the infirmary,” he said. “Here, stand up. I’ll inject it into your waist.”   
  


Inject? Huh. “What type of medicine is this?” Rey asked, quite confused. Why was she supposed to inject this one? Was it special?

 

“It’s just so that you won’t get infected. It’ll be a sharp pain, and it’ll go away soon,” Kylo said, now lifting her robe so that he could find the best place to stick the needle. Rey caught a glimpse of the silver blade, and winced before turning her head in another direction. She never had a strong stomach. Sure, she had seen dead bodies and half-eaten corpses on Jakku. But needles? Never. She would gladly wade through a sea of gore and death before having a needle stuck in her. 

 

“Okay. Don’t tense up. I’m going to slide it in in just a second, okay?” Kylo said. Rey nodded, and mentally prepared herself. Sure enough, a few seconds later, she felt the sharp stinging pain in her left waist. Desperate to not show any pain or weakness, she bit her lower lip and clenched her eyes shut. While the needle left and the pain disappeared, still the skin on her waist seemed to burn and sting. She let out a little hiss but was more than relieved to finally have the metal needle out of her body. 

 

“Is it over?” Rey asked. Kylo leaned to kiss her cheek softly. 

 

“Yes, it is. You did good,” he said, patting her cheek while she hummed and closed her eyes with happiness. So warm. So nice and safe. “Now, let’s go to the bed,” Kylo said. “I need to rub some of that burn ointment on your back.”

 

After Kylo emerged from the couch Rey managed to straighten her legs and rise. Oooh, her muscles were still sore and they burned with each step. Managing to barely make it to the bed she collapsed onto the warm sheets and turned onto her belly. Kylo’s hands began to shimmy her shirt off and Rey helped him to remove the flimsy robes until he had a clear view of her back. 

 

Kylo winced and hissed. “What’s wrong?” Rey asked. “You’ve probably seen worse than this during your years working for the First Order; haven’t you?” She knew that the scar on his face did not heal in just a matter of deals. And it definitely wasn’t painless. 

  
  


“No, I’ve seen a lot of injuries. I just don’t like seeing them on you,” Kylo said in a gentle tone. Rey smiled with satisfaction before burying her face in the pillow. The sound of an opening cap reached her ears and she knew that Kylo had found the ointment. 

 

And soon, his skilled hands began rubbings the soothing lotion all across her back. His large, gentle, caressing fingers drove her to the edge, and Rey bit her lip to hold back her moan. Each touch of hers brought her closer and closer to insanity. Each light brush of his skilled fingers made her want to writhe in pleasure. This was pure torture!

 

He was finally done. Rey smiled and brought herself into a sitting position, not even ashamed at her nudity. So what? It wasn’t like Kylo hadn’t seen her breasts before. Hell, he had already seen every inch of her.

 

But he still blushed a furious fuchsia. Even his ears turned red, and the tip of his nose was soon dyed with a light blot of red. Huh. Rey thought that Kylo, the sexlord supreme, wouldn’t act like a 17-year-old virgin. 

 

She grabbed his shoulders and started to remove his own clothes. Off went his cloak. Off went his inner jacket. Off went his shirt, until she was finally greeted with the delicious sight of his beautifully sculpted chest. Practically drowning in her drool she managed to compose herself enough to grab the ointment and then began smearing it all down Kylo’s back. 

 

As her fingers worked down his shoulders, she could feel the pure muscles beneath her fingers. Taut flesh made of strength, the result of uncountable years of training. Her own years on Jakku had given her muscles of her own. But she was an infant, a mere child, in comparison to Kylo’s own strength. As she traveled lower down his back, past the rigid bones of his spine, the muscles only grew stronger and more prominent. 

 

So strong. Like a beast. Her own guardian monster. A protector to ward off the nightmares and enemies. A fairytale prince. 

 

Finally done with smearing the ointment she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into his strong back. He hummed in response, and she could feel the vibrations of it travel through his back to her own chest. 

 

This time, she was the one in charge. Rey took Kylo’s chin in her own fingers and tilted his head until her eyes stared into his own. And just like that, in such an odd position, they kissed. 

 

As they engaged in such a beautiful display of passion and lust, Rey ran her fingers through Kylo’s rough hair. Her other hand stroked his cheek, feeling the way his cheekbones moved with each kiss. 

 

He kissed her greedily. Hungrily. Like she was the sustenance he needed. Like he depended on her more than food and water. Like he would lose her any day. Like she was an apparition, an angel sent to him that might disappear at any moment to return to heaven. 

 

_ I’m here,  _ she said, too busy kissing to actually say it out loud.  _ I’m here to stay. I’m never leaving you again. Never.  _

 

In a sudden move after she finished speaking, Kylo took her waist and flung her so that her back was on the bed. Squeaking with surprise and embarrassment, she held her breath as Kylo leaned in towards her face. Her lips parted, ready to take his, desperate for another kiss. But just short of her mouth, less than a centimeter away, Kylo stopped. 

 

“I know,” he said. 

 

“What?” Rey asked. “What do you know?”

 

“I know you’re here to stay. You’re mine; you know that?” Finished speaking, he leaned in for a kiss. Rey kissed back just as hard as he invaded her mouth. Her hands moved to his back, gripping him like he was an anchor while he struggled to remove her pants. She struggled with his pant, feeling how he was already harder than a rock. 

 

He slipped a finger inside of her suddenly. Rey gasped at the sensation, biting Kylo’s tongue in surprise and letting the iron taste of blood flood her mouth. As he finger-fucked her, she bucked her hips up get more of him. But he stopped, pausing for what seemed like an eternity. And when he stopped, all the pleasure cooped up of her like a disease. A venomous poison. She needed more of it! She needed more of him!

 

“Say it.”

 

Rey knew what he wanted to say. She knew what this cocky, self-satisfied, smirking monster wanted. And for once, she gave him what he wanted. “I’m yours,” she panted, desperate for him to continue. “I’m yours forever.”

 

In one sweeping motion, in one continuous thrust, he buried himself deep inside of her. Rey screamed as the pleasure coursed through her, as her legs started to kick and her fingers grabbing the sheets with every ounce of her strength. He was so  _ big,  _ he practically filled her up to the brim. 

 

After he thrust hilt-deep, they stayed like that for a while. Intertwined bodies, Kylo’s nose inches from her own eyes. She could make out every detail of his face from here. How multiple expressions of lust and passion crossed his face, how his eyes trembled with feeling. How his mouth was agape, his breaths coming out in small little bursts. Rey covered his mouth with his in another kiss.

 

He began to thrust and Rey could hear his deep groans. Everything about this moment, Kylo’s sexy voice, his slow rhythm, their intimate actions, drove Rey closer and closer to the edge. She could feel the climax; it was practically in her hands. Sand through her fingers, water under her feet. 

 

Kylo picked up his pace. His force rocked Rey’s body on the bed. Her fingers moved from the sheets to his back, and Rey clawed at his flesh in a desperate attempt for release. She was so close! Every time Kylo thrust, he hit that  _ one  _ spot in her, that one spot that made her writhe with ecstasy. That  _ one  _ spot that made her lose control and throw away all reason. 

 

She started gasping. Or was she screaming? Or was Kylo the one groaning deep with pleasure every time his hips drove forward? She was on fire! A thousand ants crawling down her back! Her lips quivering, wanting so desperately to be kissed. Her chest drove forward with each of Kylo’s thrusts, sending her magnificent breasts sprawling in the air. 

 

They came together, her mewling gasps mixing every so perfectly with Kylo’s deep moans. And as they came together, they screamed together. Rey’s nails dug deep into Kylo’s back. Blood pooled under her fingernails while it ran down his back. Kylo pulled out and collapsed; spent, onto Rey. His large body pinned her to the bed, making her immobile and vulnerable. 

 

His larges hands moved to cover them with sheets. Soon, their sweaty bodies were covered by a sheet of linen. Kylo rolled onto his side to give Rey room to breathe. Unwilling to give him up, not wanting even second to be wasted, Rey cuddled up to his side. Kylo snuggled closer to her once he realized her intent. Minutes passed by while they panted with satisfaction until their uneven gasps combined to form slow and deep breaths. 

 

“Hungry?” Kylo asked. 

 

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooooOOoOoOoHHHH SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT SMUT
> 
> i swear to god i got nosebleeds just from writing this.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OOOHHH SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!!!!!!

_Where was Ben? A little girl, Rey when she was not yet five years old, pattered into the room and looked around for her favorite person. But Ben was not there. Silence was the only thing that greeted her. With unsure footing and apprehensive glances she walked into the room._

 

_Not a single whisper. “Ben?” Rey asked to the silent room. No answer came. Unsure what to do, Rey walked to the table in the center and pulled herself up to sit on one of the chairs. Ben would come. Ben always came no matter what._

 

_What was that? On the table?_

 

_It looked like a metal tube. Too many buttons, too many switches and complicated-looking machinery. She had seen some of Master Luke’s younger students playing with them; attempting to poke one another with the bright beams of light that sprung forward from the hunks of metal. How cool! She had alway wanted one of those cool laser-beam toys._

 

_She reached out a hand to grab it. A foot away, one inch away….._

 

_The door slammed open. Shocked, Rey drew back her hand as if it were burned while turning to look at the entrance. And sure enough, it was Ben. She was about to utter a welcoming cry, maybe run to him and hug his leg like she always did._

 

_“Don’t touch it! That’s mine!” Ben said, anger in his voice that Rey had never heard before. It had always been gentle words. Compliments and teasing jokes mixed with a healthy amount of reprising and scolding. But never anger._

 

_Rey knew what he was talking about. The weirdly-shaped metal thing on the table. Surely he had seen her reach for it before bursting into the room. Was it wrong to want to touch it? Should she apologize? Would Ben still be angry? She didn’t like when he was angry! It scared her. It made her feel unsafe._

 

_No doubt Ben saw her confused face; saw that she was on the verge of tears. In one motion, his expression immediately morphed into one of concern. “Oh Rey,” he sighed before crouching into a squatting position to be equal to her height. “Come here.”_

 

_Happy that he wasn’t angry and happy that his scary voice was gone, Rey happily ran to where he crouched at the doorway. In a familiar motion that Rey had always loved, Ben wrapped his arms around her._

 

_“I’m sorry,” she whispered against his chest. “Don’t get angry.”_

 

_“Never again, Rey. Not with you.”_

 

\----------------------------

 

A knock ran at the door and it jolted Rey out of her happy and nostalgic dream. Groaning, she glanced at the clock. It read “19:00” in giant red letters. What? It was already so late? Rey shot up into a sitting position on the bed. By her side, Kylo was still slumbering deeply in sleep. Slowly and surely, she nudged him.

 

“What? What’s wrong?” Kylo said, rubbing his eyes sleepily before glancing at the clock. “Oh, it’s already 7. Must be our dinner at the door,” he said, and slipped out of bed ungracefully with still-sleepy limbs to lumber to the door. Shirtless, but still with his trousers on. Perfect for her eyes to roam over his well-sculpted chest and her mind to design countless fantasies.

 

“Wait,” Rey said, all of a sudden and all too quickly feeling like something was _off._ The Force was trying to tell her something. Something had disturbed it, but she couldn’t place her finger on it. But it was too late. Kylo had already opened the door.

 

No. It wasn’t the droid that usually brought the meals. It was someone different.

 

“Ah. Good evening, brother. I see that you’ve partaken in certain...activities. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Loman’s tone was innocent and snarky at the same time. It felt like he was shooting them insults, stealthily covered by a blanket of innocent words and phrases. He spoke in such a way that it confused her, muddled her mind and her speech.

 

“What do you want, Loman?” Kylo practically growled back. His still sleepy mind was sharp enough to recognize the snarky knight, and he was none too pleased to find him at the door of his chambers.

 

“Oh, well that’s the most simple question,” Loman laughed. Then paused before speaking again. “I want Rey.”

 

The room was silent. Even Kylo couldn’t find anything to say; not even his usual sassy or arrogant commands. Rey froze with terror, clutching the blankets around her in attempt for modesty. All she was wearing was one of Kylo’s shirt that she must have groggily put on before sleeping. Pants? None of those.

 

_Rey. Bathroom. Now._

 

She didn’t have to be told twice. But Kylo’s urging, almost desperate tone, was all she needed to gain the strength to bolt to the bathroom. On the way, she quickly swiped her robes from the ground.

 

As she hastily changed and splashed her face with cold water, she could still make out the conversation happening right outside the door.

 

“What do you want with her? It’s practically dinner time. You’ve already finished her training.” Rey could tell that Kylo was not amused, judging by his tone. He sounded unnerved… and a bit desperate.

 

“Snoke’s orders. The Supreme Leader asked me to bring her to him.”

 

“I can just as easily bring Rey to him. You’re dismissed.” Kylo made to close the door, and Rey could hear the eager shuffles of his feet.

 

“No, no, you’ve got this all wrong,” laughed Loman. “He requested that I bring her to him. He believes that you should rest, catch up on your sleep.”

 

Kylo paused. Rey knew what had to be done. No matter how much Kylo loved her; no matter how much he wanted to keep her safe, he still had to follow Snoke’s commands. Maybe one day he could be liberated from the clutches of that evil monster. But going against him now was suicide.

 

So Rey braced herself and walked out of the bathroom. “I’m presentable,” she announced in a confident voice that caused both males to turn their heads and view her. “Bring me to the Supreme Leader.”

 

“Ah. Good to see that you’re awake. Now, let’s go,” Loman said, sweeping his arm in a gesture that pointed to the hallway. “He’s requested our presence as soon as possible.”

 

Rey made her way to the door. She brushed past Kylo, glancing up quickly in his eyes before averting them back to the floor. He looked angry. And a bit scared.

 

“Wait.”

 

At the sound of Kylo’s voice, Rey turned back to see what he wanted. What was he going to do? Disobey Snoke’s direct orders? But all Kylo did was grab his cloak from one of the couches and sling it over her shoulders. It felt like a possessive action; like he was branding her with the over-sized cloak. Rey leaned up to give him a little peck on the cheek before he pulled away. So what if Loman was right there? He’d already seen one of their intimate actions before. No doubt the entire base knew what was happening between their commander and his apprentice.

 

“Let’s go,” Loman said, turning to walk at a steady pace down the hallways. Rey took her time leaving, reaching up to stroke Kylo’s cheek in a loving motion. _I’ll be okay,_ she said. _Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it. If I feel something wrong, you’ll know._

 

Kylo closed his eyes and traced his hand over her hand that was placed on his cheek. Sighing a huff of air that sounded laced with tension, he slowly pushed her out the door. “Go,” he said. “Loman and Snoke will get mad.”

 

Rey knew what else he was trying to say. They might hurt her. Shooting him one more smile to show him that she was okay, Rey walked down the hallway to catch up with Loman’s hastily retreating strides. A few quick moments of jogging, and she was finally at his side. Was he angry? She stared into his face and almost gasped with surprise.

 

Loman was smiling. Not the weird, animalistic ones that he usually flashed at her. A genuine smile, one that happiness and satisfaction could procure. His eyes flashed down to meet hers, and Rey quickly averted her gaze.

 

“Curious, aren’t you? No doubt wondering why I’m smiling in that tiny little brain of yours,” said Loman. Smiling he might be, but his snarky tone was still the same. Rey rolled her eyes at his arrogance. Being was Loman was definately less fun that being with Kylo.

 

“Well, care to enlighten my tiny brain?” Rey shot back. “Why are you smiling?”

 

Loman’s smile just grew wider. His eyes continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring her completely. “I have my reasons,” he said. “You’ll find out soon enough.”  


On that ominous tone, they soon arrived outside Snoke’s throne room. With a nod towards their leaders, the knights guarding the doors swung them open to admit the pair. Rey followed Loman inside.

 

Loman walked purposefully to the throne and knelt in a smooth motion. Rey was much less graceful. Crossing her arms and shivering slightly at the cold, she ran uncertainly to Loman’s side before kneeling onto the ground.

 

“Ahh. It’s good to see that you got my message, my apprentices,” Snoke said. “I’m pleased that you arrived quite quickly. I must say; I am very impressed.”

 

“Thank you, Supreme Leader.” Loman droned in a monotone voice. Rey mumbled her thanks, not wanting to seem insulting or disrespectful. “What will you have of us today, Master?” Loman asked, getting right to the point.

 

“Kylo Ren has been a disappointment,” Snoke said in a tone that sent shivers down Rey’s spine. “He has not yet improved his power to it’s highest heights. He is reluctant to draw on the girl’s power,” Snoke said, pointing a scaly finger in Rey’s direction. “He is not using this Force Bond to it’s greatest advantage.”

 

Draw on her power? What did that mean? Rey racked her mind, trying to think of a time where Kylo had attempted to use her power. Not once, at least that she could remember, had he drawn her power through the bond. He had been gentle in that sense. All those times, when he could have abused her and taken advantage of her, he had chosen instead to be gentle and loving. She appreciated that.

 

“Shall he be eliminated then, Master?” Loman asked. Rey could hear the eagerness in his voice, and it made her sick. Did Loman really want to kill Kylo? All those times he had called Kylo his ‘brother’ were nothing but empty lies.

 

“No, no. He can still be useful.” Rey breathed a sigh of relief at Snoke’s words. “But you, Loman. You can prove your usefulness.”

 

“Yes, Master. Let me prove it to you,” Loman said, eagerness practically dripping off of his words like honey. “I can accomplish the mission! I am powerful enough!”Rey rolled her eyes. He sounded just like a lovesick little girl. ‘Notice me, Snoke! Let me serve you, Snoke!’ Disgusting.

 

Snoke hummed with a smile on his face while he leaned back into his throne. “I don’t doubt your abilities. So show me, Loman, your powers. Are you capable of bringing your new apprentice to the dark side? Can you tempt her to the dark side, break the light within her? Can you do what Kylo Ren has failed to accomplish?”

 

Break her? Bring her to the dark side? Hah. Fools. She wouldn’t be brought over to the dark side. In fact, she was here to bring Kylo Ren back to the _light_. She wouldn’t be tricked by them.

 

“I can, Master.” Loman said, satisfaction in his voice. Rey could _feel_ his smile, his happiness casting a sickening aura around the room.

 

“Good,” Snoke said, “very good. Now then, come closer, both of you.”

 

Loman practically ran to the foot of the throne. But Rey was more hesitant. Why weren’t they leaving? She wanted to go back to Kylo. Wanted to leave this cold room, far away from Snoke’s evil plans. She reached out through the Force, trying to contact Kylo.

 

But she couldn’t. It was almost like there was a wall surrounding her mind. No matter how hard she pushed, how hard she strained her mind, she couldn’t utter a single word to Kylo.

 

“Oh no, little star, we can’t have you trying to contact Kylo Ren.” Snoke said. Rey froze with fear: she had been discovered. Snoke was surely the one who trapped her mind. He was the only one in the room that was capable of using such power. “Now,” he continued in a disgustingly fatherly tone, “stop your nonsense and come closer.”

 

Rey didn’t move. She didn’t care if Snoke was going to punish her for trying to contact Kylo. “Go ahead,” she hissed, “hit me with your best shot. I don’t care what you do to me. I’m never going near you!” Finished speaking, she braced herself for punishment.

 

But a blow never came. Instead, a strong arm latched onto her own and she was dragged forward.

 

“I don’t have time for you shit, little girl,” hissed Loman. “Just do what you’re told.”

 

Rey tried to shrug away Loman’s arm, but he was just too strong. Nearer and nearer their edged to the throne. Rey tried to dig her heels into the slippery floor and failed miserably in vain. For soon enough, in just a few moments, she was standing right at Snoke’s giant feet. Before she could try to weasel out of his strong grip, Loman forced her into a kneeling position by pushing her back.

 

She still struggled. She didn’t give up the fight. Desperately, she threw herself against her mental walls with all the force she could muster. Screaming Kylo’s name over and over, a chant to last the ages, a song that she would live by.

 

“Now then,” said Snoke. “Let’s get this started.”

 

Something cold landed on her head. And with it came great pain. Snoke’s hand was colder than Rey could ever have imagined it to be. It was like if evil had a physical form; pain and suffering.

 

The walls in her mind crumbled.

 

 _Kylo!_ Rey screamed. _Kylo, help me!_

 

But before Kylo could respond, before he could even confirm that he had heard her, Rey felt her mind _twist_ and _bend_. Then, it was not her own.

 

It was oddly peaceful. Sort of like floating in a vast and empty ocean with nothing but the salty air as a friend. Endless white. Never-ending black.

 

Then the pain hit.

 

If she could’ve screamed, she would have.

 

Her arm was moving. Thrashing through the air. Her legs kicking of their own accord. Her vision tainted by a red darker than the most gory blood. Her throat burning with the fire of a thousand flames. Her brain, cracked open by a sword, being ripped apart. The pain was unbearable! Never ending, flowing through her body in waves.

 

The calm ocean in her mind turned into a storm. She was dying, her head being battered by wave after wave of intense pain. The salty water burning her lungs; her limbs being dragged around by the relentless waters as if they were mere sticks. She was being tossed around like a rag doll, thrown back and forth. Faster and faster came the stormy rains. Faster and faster the winds whipped around her. Softer and softer grew her screams, her strength and energy waning.

 

In the distance, a ship. An anchor. A safe harbor. A little lamp on the forefront of its tiny hull, promising warmth and security. So close. But so far away. Forever out of her reach, always slipping through her fingers. No hope.

 

She sunk beneath the waters.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. So tight that she swore the skin on her eyelids broke. Her teeth were grinding together, the enamel biting on her inner cheek until she could feel blood and breaking flesh.

 

Then it was over. No more pain. The ocean in her mind once again calm and composed. The waves sinking down to become once again nothing but a small current that tugged at her body.

 

“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  
At the sound of Snoke’s voice, Rey opened her eyes to find herself in the throne room. No more waves. No more salty ocean. Just the same cold room in which her nightmare began. A few inches from her, Loman’s eyes stared deep into her own. Focusing on calming her breathing, she managed to stare right back at him.

 

No. She was not weak. She wasn’t afraid anymore.

 

“See, little star? Just a little pain,” Snoke hissed lightly. “Why don’t you test this bond out, Loman?”

 

Bond? What bond? While she was still thinking, Loman rose to a standing position. Rey still sat on the cold and hard ground, contemplating Snoke’s words.

 

“Stand up, Rey.”

 

Normally, Rey would grit her teeth and completely ignore Loman’s words. Probably shoot him a scathing glare and maybe even an insult. She would roll her eyes, disobey his command.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Her legs rose of her own accord. Against her own will. Her mind was screaming at her, to sit back down, to yell at Loman, to do anything other than stand up! But she was helpless to her body. She rose slowly, inwardly screaming as her body bent to the will of another human. And suddenly, it hit her. A  Force bond. That’s what Snoke placed between her and Loman. Just like the one between her and Kylo.

 

Loman smiled at the sight of such an obedient little apprentice, and the sight made Rey sick. Oh, if she could, she would have spit right in his satisfied face. “Ah, Supreme leader,” he said, “the bond is working perfectly.”

 

Rey continued screaming inside of her mind. Anything! Anything but this! Snoke could kill her, a thousand times over, break her bones for an eternity and she would be happy. Anything but being helpless against Loman’s commands.

 

Snoke chuckled, an ugly sound. “Go, then, Loman. Take her and do what you must. With this new power under your belt, she will bend to the dark side soon enough. Prove to me your power. Now leave me.”

 

Loman bowed to Snoke before heading towards the door. “Let’s go, Rey. Follow me,” he said, walking slowly to the door and not shooting even one glance back at her.

 

Rey’s legs moved forward again.

  
And she couldn’t stop them.

_Kylo! Help me!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so obviously there is a HUGE difference between Kylo's bond with Rey versus Loman's. Kylo had the opportunity to drain Rey of her power, but since he *loves* her so much, he doesn't want to hurt her that way. Besides, when I wrote in a previous chapter about the "bond of unity", that was a thing that could happen between two people that at least CARED about each other. I mean, come on guys, Loman's an asshole. The only way to get him to bond with Rey was for Snoke to put a temporary one of her. But will he hurt Rey and try to steal all her power? I don't know. Guess you'll have to find out. 
> 
>  
> 
> THANKS FOR READING, ALL YOU LITTLE LOVELIES


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fuck. He loved her."

Rey had never felt this helpless before. 

 

Not even while scavenging on Jakku, or bartering for portions with Plutt. The hopeless feeling of staring out at the endless desert was nothing compared to what she felt now. Vulnerable and exposed. Naked. 

 

She kept on walking after Loman when they left the throne room. Against her will. Step after step. Her mind was trapped, her body betraying her own thoughts. She was, in the simplest words, nothing but a human doll. 

 

“I assume you’re hungry? I did, after all, interrupt your meal time,” Loman said. Rey gripped her mouth shut, clenching her teeth together with all her strength so that she didn’t have to respond. 

 

“Yes, or no? Give me an answer,” Loman said after a long and frustrated pause. In his words there rang some sort of power, like a command. Before she could think, or clasp a hand over her mouth, it opened. 

 

“Yes. I’m hungry.” It was the simplest answer that she could respond with. On cue, her stomach growled an almost-feral noise. 

 

“Good. Let’s go, then. I’ll arrange a dinner,” Loman said. 

 

“No, no. I’m fine. Just take me back to Kylo,” Rey said. If she had to spend another hour with this monster, much less eat a meal with him, she would scream. 

 

“Are you refusing my hospitality?” Loman said in what seemed to be an innocent tone. “You have no choice in the matter. Don’t ever try to disobey my commands again. You’ll find that the punishment is quite… severe.” Thoughts that were not her own flashed through Rey’s eyes. 

 

A torture chamber. Worse, a personal room. A bed. Endless screams and sobs into the night. A cage. Guns pointing at her head. Finn’s dead body lying next to a killed Poe. The Resistance base burning in flames. Rey shivered. 

 

On that ominous tone, they stopped walking and paused before a set of gilded doors.

 

Loman dragged the door open from one handle and held it open in what seemed like a sweet sign of gentlemanliness and proper morals. His hand flew to her back as he slightly nudged her forward. It seemed like a sign of friendship. Oh, but Rey knew it was nothing like that. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t run away. 

 

The door closed. A sharp sound sounding like the definite boom of a closing cage. 

 

“Why don’t you sit, Rey?” Loman asked, gesturing to a giant and elaborately designed table with two chairs. He pulled one out and and obviously intended for her to sit. “Go on, now,” he said, “sit.”

 

So Rey did. The chair screeched, its legs vibrating as they dragged across the pristine floors. Loman took the seat on the other side of the table and Rey quickly gazed down to avoid his glance. Her eyes, instead, traveled to the table. 

 

There was a beautiful plate situated right in front of it. Silverware forks, spoons, and knives all encompassing it in complicated layouts and orders. Why were there so many forks? What was the difference between the large one closest to her or the small one that looked too tiny to even pick up? The plate itself, rimmed with what seemed to be gold and decorated with silver leaves, looked expensive enough to feed her for  _ months  _ on Jakku. 

 

Here she was. Living in the lap of luxury while people she knew were starving to death on the desert wasteland she had abandoned. 

 

“Wine?” Loman asked. Rey’s eyes shot up to see him holding a bottle of what seemed to be red liquid. Oh. Alcohol. She had some before, back at the Resistance base. Surrounded by friends, laughter, and endless jokes. 

 

Not bothering to hear a response, or wait for an answer, Loman instead waved his fingers lazily to summon the Force. Unsupported and unguided by human hands, the bottle opened itself and began to pour a lazy stream into Rey’s glass. 

 

“Now,” Loman said after both their glasses were filled. “Let’s toast to the beginning of a new age. To the newfound power between a master an apprentice. No galaxies will stand in our way; no universe that will not bow to our strength.”

 

He raised his glass, obviously waiting for Rey to do the same. Rey hesitatingly picked up her glass, and raised it in the same motion that Loman was holding. As a smile crossed his lips, he brought the glass to his lips.

 

“Drink,” he said, and Rey brought her own glass up to her lips. Instead of drinking his own glass, Loman instead watched as Rey brought up her drink to her mouth. 

  
Just before she was about to swallow it, right before it poured down her throat, she caught a wiff of it. It was not the sweet, delicate and intoxicating smell of alcohol. Rather, it smelled  _ off.  _ Like poison. 

 

So she didn’t drink it. Years of scavenging for untrustworthy food on Jakku gave her a great knowledge in poisons and harmful chemicals. Just from one whiff of the so-called wine, she knew it wasn’t safe. So the glass went back down to the table.

 

“What’s wrong?” Loman asked as a frown grew across his face, “go ahead and drink. I promise you it’ll taste fine.”

 

Was being forced into a drug-induced sleep supposed to taste fine? Rey narrowed her eyes. “Don’t try to trick me, Loman. I know what you put in this wine. So, no. I’m not going to drink it.”

 

Loman’s eyes filled with anger. “You will drink it,” he commanded in a deep tone. “Do not attempt to disobey me.” Rey flinched as she felt Loman push a strong and irresistible wave of the Force into his words. Unbidden and against her will, her hands moved to pick up the glass again. 

 

_ No! I have to fight back! I’m stronger than this! _

 

Rey put all her strength into fighting her own body. It was her mind, her brain, against her fingers and hands. Her mental power over her physical power. Closer and closer the glass came to her mouth. But her hands were shaking, visibly unstable and threatening to spill the wine that was sloshing around in the glass. 

 

Wait! That was her solution! Squeezing her eyes in concentration, focusing all her power on just a slight move, Rey managed to tip the wineglass. All it took was a strong jerk of her hand, the movement of her fingers quick and spasmatic.

 

Slowly, almost as if time was slowing down, the wine spilled onto the ground. Every single drop of the dangerous red liquid sloshed out of the glass until it all fell onto the floor. Across the table, Loman’s eyes widened in shock. Hah. It looked like the bond was not as effective as he wished for it to be. 

 

Sweet victory. But Rey barely had time to celebrate. 

 

With an animalistic and almost demonic growl, Loman shot out of his seat and immediately stalked over to Rey’s seat. His strong hand grabbed her chin, squeezing it tighter and tighter with each second. Slowly, he moved his face closer and closer, until Rey could stare right into his deep irises. His hot breath whispered across her face, and she flinched at the feeling. 

 

“You will drink.” Loman said once more, summoning his own glass using the Force. Panicking, Rey quickly glanced down at his glass. It was still full, the red liquid looking more foreboding than ever. Loman brought his own glass to her lips until the rim of it rested right against her mouth. “Open your mouth,” growled Loman. “Open it!”

 

Rey didn’t obey. Why did he want her to drink the wine so badly? No good things could happen from following his directions. So she kept her mouth closed while her brain quickly tried to formulate an escape plan. She wouldn’t be able to resist him for long. 

 

Loman knew all that was going inside her head. Every single escape plan, every foolish dream of rescue. “Just drink it,” he whispered across her ear. “Just drink the wine and everything will be fine.”

 

Rey squeezed her lips even tighter. 

 

“Open. Your. Mouth!” Loman practically screamed. A huge, unavoidable wave of Force rolling behind his words. Her lips began to shake, as her mind and body once again began to fight each other. 

 

Why! Why couldn’t her body listen to her mind! She was trapped. A bird fluttering helplessly in the cage with broken wings, staring deep into the never wavering face of death. A lonely scavenger. Helpless and vulnerable. 

 

She opened her mouth. Before Loman could pour the wine down her throat, she  _ screamed.  _

 

It was pure power. The Force unleashed, her mind like a giant flame, consuming all in her path. The plates on the table shattered. The table was pushed back by her power, crashing against the far wall and splintering to pieces. Her vision grew red, her hands crackling with power. Vaguely, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Loman getting flung into the wall before crumbling into an unmoving pile on the ground. Rubble, broken plates, silverware, tiles from the floor, levitated in the air as she unleashed her power. 

 

It felt so  _ good  _ to be so powerful. To be able to cause so much damage. 

 

Then it hit. The fatigue. The tiredness. The aching in her muscles. As Rey sighed, as she relaxed her muscles once more, all the rubble in the air plummeted to the ground with one loud crash. It was over. The room was silent. It was trashed, the doors blown off of their hinges. The tables and other furniture mixing into a giant and unrecognizable pile of trash on the floor. Even Loman, still lying unconscious against the wall, was not moving. For once, the knight that always seemed to torment her was unresponsive and powerless.

 

_ What had she done? _

 

\---------------------------------

 

Kylo felt it too. The giant power that pulsed right through his brain like a thousand daggers. He lifted a hand to his head while doubling over in pain, half expecting to see his fingers coated with blood when he lowered his hand. But it was clean. Nothing but pale flesh. 

 

Was Rey in trouble?

 

But that giant wave of the Force… he didn’t sense fear or sadness emanating from her. It was anger. Pure, unbridled anger that galloped across the galaxy like the very horses of hell. Untamable. But also so beautiful. 

 

“Sir? Are you alright?”

 

Reality slapped him in the face. He was in a meeting. Several lieutenants were standing, including the one that had just addressed him. The other commanders were cowering in their seats, their gazes fixed on the exit. He knew what they feared. Another infamous tantrum. Already he had broken a chair when he first felt Rey’s disturbance; the remnants of it littering the floor. 

 

“Something urgent has arised,” Kylo said, struggling to keep an even tone that masked his worry. “Continue the meeting without me. Have someone contact me later in the evening, at 19:00.” Without another word or backwards glance, he trailed out of the room. 

 

Now, he had to find Rey. Where was she?

 

Loman had taken her. Snoke had  _ personally  _ requested just the two of them. Never in his life, never in his entire career as the commander of the First Order, had he been kept in the dark. He realized, as it hit him quicker than an X-Wing, that he did not enjoy being kept out of discussions. 

 

Loman. Every single fucking time Rey got hurt, Loman was somehow behind it. 

 

He reached out with the Force, searching for Rey. Nothing responded. On her side of the bond there were giant walls, huge unscalable blocks of steel that prevented him from getting into her mind. 

 

But something felt off about her. Something...weird. She was different from when she had left with Loman to see the Supreme Leader. Even worse, she was hiding it from him. 

 

_ Rey, where are you?  _ Kylo asked. 

 

Rey didn’t respond with words. Just images. A room. A gorgeous table with magnificent silverware and plates. Wine. An elaborate door decorated with gold. Kylo knew exactly where she was. It was one of the more elaborate dining rooms the First Order held; ones that were used for special occasions. 

 

Had Loman taken her to dinner? Kylo didn’t believe the innocent facade for one instant. There had to be a deeper motivation. Something had to have provoked Rey and cause her to unleash such anger.

 

He arrived and reached to open the door. To his surprise, the door no longer existed. All that was left were a few broken metal hinges, and cracked wood scattered across the hallway. 

 

No snarky Loman came out of the room to greet him with masked insults. Unsure of what he would see, Kylo entered the room. 

 

Loman was the first thing he saw. The powerful knight lay in a weak lump on the ground, no doubt unconscious. It was an odd sight; to see such a powerful Knight of Ren so vulnerable and helpless. To be fair though, Loman did have this coming for a long time. 

 

His eyes passed over the knight, and moved to scan the rest of the room. Wreckage lay everywhere. Broken shards of wood and what seemed to be the remnants of plates and glass. Red liquid, no doubt wine, spilled everywhere to pollute the room with an odd, strangely poisonous, smell. 

 

And in the midst of all the destruction, sitting silently and obediently, was Rey. 

 

The chair that she was sitting on was the only remaining intact thing in the room. But the girl sitting on it looked anything but stable. Rey was rocking back and forth, her legs drawn up into a fetal position. Her eyes, bright and wide, were flitting around the room in quick, unsure motions. Kylo removed his helmet, placing it gently on the floor.

 

“Rey,” Kylo said gently, slowly and quietly treading over to where she sat. She didn’t respond. “It’s me. Kylo.” When silence was still the only answer he received, he walked even closer. Foolishly, he stepped on a piece of wreckage. 

 

At the sound of the loud  _ snap  _ that reverberated around the room, Rey’s head spun around to face Kylo. Her eyes were wild, her lips drawn back in a snarl. She didn’t seem to recognize him, the fire in her eyes blazing like an uncontrollable storm. 

 

He didn’t recognize her in that moment. But she was still the girl he loved. He loved her. With all the soul that still remained in him. 

 

Rey launched herself onto him, and he was so surprised, so taken aback, that he let her tackle him to the ground. A moment later, he felt soft and dainty hands enclose themselves around his throat. 

 

The love of his life was choking him. 

 

She wanted to kill him? He would let her. It he caused her pain, caused her to go insane and cry and weep and feel so much sorrow, he would gladly die for her. Rey, beautiful, amazing, wonderful, Rey, was the only person who would  _ ever _ be good enough to kill him. Hell, he would be happy to die at her hands. 

 

Her hands squeezed tighter and tighter, and he felt the air leave his lungs. Memories, beautiful memories, flashed through his mind. Rey, tiny and small, laughing with a flower crown on her head. Asking him to teach her how to wield a lightsaber. Pouting whenever he had to go off on a mission. 

 

Calling him Bennie. Whispering that she loved him in his ear. Rey. A new, beautiful, woman, walking onto his ship. All those intimate, lust-filled nights they shared with sweaty bedsheets and words of love whispered into the empty air. Her smile. The way she tugged on his ears and nose. How beautiful she looked when she fought with her staff, her eyes wild and ablaze with life. When she slashed his face on Starkiller base to give him the one thing that would always make him hers. 

 

Her hands squeezed tighter. Bringing him closer and closer to freedom, further and further from Snoke’s treacherous reach. His father’s face, so accepting and forgiving, floated in front of his eyelids. His arms were wide open, that smirk that Kylo knew so well during his childhood years on his face. That leather jacket, which he had hugged so many times and shed so many tears on, still the same color. 

 

Rey squeezed even tighter. 

 

Fuck. He loved her. 

 

_ I love you.  _ Kylo said. Gentle. A parting whisper. Famous last words. How ironic. Here he lay dying, being killed by the one person in the universe whom he couldn’t live without, telling her he loved her.  _ I love you so much, Rey,  _ he said once last time. 

 

Suddenly, air filled his lungs as Rey drew back her hands. On reflex, his instincts kicked in and his eyes snapped open. Something wet was dripping on his face. Blood? He reached up a hand to wipe it off. 

 

No. Not blood. Tears. Rey’s tears. 

 

Her face was mere inches from his. Her eyes, still their gorgeous color of hazel rimmed with wet tears. Kylo, his chest burning with the pain of seeing Rey so deep in sorrow, reached up an arm to stroke her face. 

 

“Why didn’t you finish it? Just another second, and I would have been gone forever. I would have never been able to hurt you again.”

 

Rey buried her face in his shoulder while her dainty hands gripped onto his shirt so tightly that her nails ripped the fabric. “Don’t talk like that,” she softly sobbed. “I can’t live without you. I was choking you; but it felt like I was dying. Like I was the one wanting to die. Please, Kylo. Don’t ever die. I can’t live without you. You’re my life now.” Finished pouring out her entire soul, she once again began to sob uncontrollably. 

 

“Shhh,” whispered Kylo comfortingly as Rey continued to cry. “Don’t you ever worry, Rey. I’ll always be with you. And remember,” he said, moving Rey’s hand so that it laid right over his heart, “my heart belongs to you. You want to kill me? Tear it out. I would more than happy to die at your hands.”

 

It was too much for poor Rey. She stopped crying, past the point of all sorrow, her hands clenching on his chest. Wordlessly, Kylo got up from the floor, cradling Rey in his arms like he did back during the days of Luke’s academy. Leaving behind the messy room, the unconscious knight, his possible death, Kylo made way for his chambers again. 

 

He didn’t care that his face was on display for all the stormtroopers that passed. Nor that the new bruises on his neck were visible to all. He was proud of those newly-formed purple wounds. 

 

And all the while, en route to his chambers, Rey whispered into his chest her mantra. Her key to survival, the only words that now mattered to her. Over and over again, drilling it into her memory like it was the very reason she lived. Like it was the water of life. 

  
“I love you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Reylo so much. The weird, insatiable, odd love that just leaves you wanting for more. 
> 
> HAHA FUCK YOU LOMAN lol isn't revenge sweet?


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ANGST MIXED WITH FLUFF

Rey was asleep when Kylo finally arrived at his chambers. Still in his arms, her weight heavy and sturdy.

 

Sweet and docile. Harmless in his arms. Delicate like a toy. How easy it would be, for him to squeeze her tiny neck in his giant hands. To repay her for his injury. To maker her fear him, to show her that Ben Solo was dead.

 

But he couldn’t bring himself to harm her. Because he loved her. So Kylo instead laid her down gently onto the bed, drawing up the covers so that the blanket covered her entire body. Sitting down on the other side of the mattress, he stroked her cheek gently before planting a kiss on her sweaty forehead.

 

This wasn’t how he wanted it to be like.

 

She was supposed to be a queen ruling by his side. But instead of feeling like the royalty she was; like the dark ruler she was meant to be; she felt like a prisoner. Like a captive of the First Order. Like a puppet to Snoke, like a prawn to Loman.

 

His hand trailed down to stroke her cheek. Poor princess.

 

A sharp and static sound snapped him out of his peaceful reverie.

 

“Sir,” said a frightful lieutenant over the comlink. “Have you seen Lord Loman this evening? I’m afraid that he was not present at his meeting with General Hux that should have started around 20 minutes ago.”

 

Kylo growled, angered that the message had disturbed his peace. He stalked forward to the comlink and pressed the button to speak. “I believe Loman Ren is in dining room 0012.” He said. “Oh, when you’re retrieving him, don’t forget a medic and a stretcher.” Kylo promptly hung up when he could hear stutters and sounds of protest coming from the other end.

 

It was a shame that he couldn’t just leave Loman to die there. The asshole certainly deserved it. But Kylo knew that the Supreme Leader would be none to pleased to hear about the death of yet another knight.

 

His eyes always wandered around his room whenever he fell deep into thought. Unconsciously, he checked the time on the comlink. It read, in giant red letters, “22:00”.

 

No doubt Rey was hungry. Kylo pressed the button on the comlink once again. “Route me to the kitchens,” he spoke, enunciating each of his words to the machine that would transfer his calls.

  
“Directing to the kitchen, hall 0192,” spoke the careful and measured tone of the computer. A few beeps, some chirps, and Kylo finally found himself talking to the kitchen.

 

“Oh, hi, Rey! What is it going to be on this fine night?”

 

Kylo was completely taken aback by the conversational tone on the other side of the comlink. So happy. So bright and cheerful. Years and years of listening to nothing but the frightful tone of lowly generals and workers had made Kylo forget what a friendly voice sounded like. Blinking in confusion, Kylo was flabbergasted that the worker thought that _he_ was _Rey._

 

“This is Lord Ren,” he said with a clipped tone.

 

Silence on the other end. Then, a frightened voice. “Oh, oh my. Uh… um, I apologize, Lord Ren. Please excuse my, um… attitude,” said the worker meekly before his words faded into the distance with stutters and apologies.

 

“Just send what Lady Rey normally orders. And, a bottle of wine and two glasses,” Kylo said, putting in extra effort to call Rey “Lady.” He didn’t like how this worker said her name so easily.

 

He didn’t want to admit it. He was jealous.

 

“Right away, sir,” said the worker. “A platter of fruit and a bottle of red wine will be sent to your quarters shortly. Is there anything else you need, my Lord?”

 

“No. That will be all.” Kylo readied himself to release his finger and end the conversation. Before he could stop himself, before he could put out of motion something that he had put into motion, he leaned in to say his last few words.

 

“Thank you,” he said, before jerking back his finger from the button.

 

Thank you. Two simple words comprised of 8 distinct letters. So short; but so hard to say. But there was an odd feeling that came with saying them; an odd combination of happiness and satisfaction.

 

Kylo lifted up a hand to his forehead and sighed with exasperation.

 

What was happening to him?

 

\------------------------------

 

Comforting arms. An even more comfortable bed. Warm, fluffy sheets encompassing her body. A chaste kiss on her forehead accompanied by delicate fingers that swept her hair back from her face.

 

And she fell. Unbidden into the dreamscape that reached for her.

 

_She was on Jakku. Where else would the sand rip into the skin of her face? Where else would people, clad in many layers of rags, walk with such sadness and hopelessness? Where else would the dunes stretch for miles and miles until the sand blended with the dusty sky into one hazy color of beige?_

 

_She always had this dream. No matter how far she tried to run. Jakku, the Resistance, the First Order, the dream was always there._

 

_And she had to follow through with it. No matter what. Steeling herself with determination, Rey gripped the bag in her hand and walked to a rickety shack that she knew so well._

 

_Rey flung the bag’s contents onto the booth’s table. Unkar Plutt’s hideous face stared down at her from above, his ugly face forever frozen in a sneer._

 

_“Back again, scavenger?” Plutt said, laughing and clutching his giant belly. “Well, I guess you’ve got to eat, don’t you?”_

 

_Rey silently nodded. She hated it. She hated how Plutt knew the power that he wielded over her. No parts meant no portions, and no portions meant no life. Oh, she could try to barter all she wanted, but it was always the same result._

 

_“Hmmm, interesting parts you’ve brought today,” the disgusting monster hums while pretending to observe her parts with a scrutiny that is all too sarcastic. He sneers after a moment and slams the parts down onto the table and waving his hand in careless gesture. “2 portions,” he says with horribly-hidden glee in his voice._

 

_“But yesterday they were worth 4 portions!” Rey says. It’s pointless, she knows. But it never hurts to try. On Jakku, perseverance and endurance were the keys to success._

 

_“Do you want to starve?” Plutt sneers. Rey grumbles and calls him the most unsavory names she knows before reaching up to grab the portions. Two tiny packages. Another day to live._

 

_She walks back on a path she knows so well. A few more steps, and she’ll have to turn left. Then, a right run will take her to her speeder. She hears it then, as she rounds the turn. A whimper._

 

_It’s always the same girl! Always the same, pitiful tiny child with eyes that Rey knows too well. The same hopelessness that speaks to her soul like a mirror. The same sense of being left behind, the bitter sense of loneliness that eats away at one’s soul._

 

_She does it without thinking. In a second, the tiny girl’s eyes are wide as she stares down at the two portions in her hands. In the next second, the little girl’s arms are wrapped around Rey’s legs, a tiny hurricane of loneliness and warmth._

 

_Something’s off though. Something pauses her from swinging the girl into a hug that she has done thousands upon thousands of time in the past. Something cold and dark. Something behind her._

 

_“Ah. I forgot,” says a cold voice behind her, “you were a lowly scavenger.”_

 

_Half turning her body around, half pushing the girl behind her to safety, Rey looks behind her to find a sneering Loman leaning on the wall of the alley._

 

_He’s here? In her dreams?_

 

_“Helping another little desert rat, aren’t you?” Loman asks before pushing himself off of the wall. As his hands shake his robes, his sneer morphs into an expression of disgust. “Fucking hate sand,” he mutters, “it gets everywhere.”_

 

_Rey rolls her eyes. Even in her dreams, Loman is a pretentious little prat. “Cut the crap, Loman,” she growls, noticing how the poor little behind her clings just a little tighter to her leg. “Why are you here?”_

 

_She doesn’t say the rest, but she knows that Loman undoubtedly can hear it._

 

_“Don’t try to hide your curiosity. Wondering about how I managed to pop into your dreams, aren’t we?” Loman says. When Reys remains unmoving, her lips still set into a tight line, he continues. “The bond. It lets me get into your mind,” he whispered, creeping ever closer._

 

_“It lets me hear your thoughts,” he continued. He’s closer now. Just a few feet away. Rey stays frozen, bound in place by some odd mystical energy that courses through her like lightning._

 

_“It lets me,” Loman whispers, his breath now hot on her ear, “feel your darkest ambitions.”_

 

_His hands slide up her shoulders, and Rey shudders. “It lets me,” Loman whispers, his hand trailing up her delicate neck, “see your darkest desires.” His fingers are in her hair now, pulling on them with a harsh strength._

 

_The girl clinging onto her leg whimpers._

 

_Immediately, Rey’s mind is her own again. Her hand, driven by pure instinct, reaches for her waistband. But her lightsaber is not there. This is, after all, a dream. Laughter, evil chuckling and dark chortles beseech her ears as she’s thrown against a wall._

 

_Before the strong arms pin her, before she’s rendered helpless and weak, Rey manages to shove the tiny little girl away. The little hurricane cries as Rey pushes her, but all Rey can feel is relief._

 

_At least, the little girl will be safe. Her? Not so much._

 

 _“Just give in to it, Rey!” Loman hisses in her face as his arm pins her hands above her head. “I know you want to. I know you want this power; you desire it; it calls to you. Just let it in!”_   


_Just let it in. The Force._

 

_“You know nothing about me,” Rey sneers, and she closes her eyes._

 

_Let it in. The Force. Something twists inside her, something seems to split her mind in two. Something changes._

 

Rey bolts up in bed, sweat covering her damp face.

 

Just a dream. Nothing but a dream. She repeats it to herself, _not real, not real, not real._ The sheets? Real. The pillow her hand was gripping? Real. The man standing at the end of her bed, staring at her with those torturous yet caring eyes? Real.

 

“Kylo,” Rey breathes, not sure if it’s relief or fear she feels. But one thing she does know for sure. The burning headache in her mind. “Ugghhh,” she groans, clutching her head in both of her hands.

 

Kylo is at her side in an instant. His strong hands envelop her own, his smooth and gentle hands encompassing her own fingers. Fingers rough and scorched from endless days on Jakku. His hands are like an anchor, and Rey manages to focus her breathing and finally calm down.

 

“Nightmare?” He asks. “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too,” he says, and Rey feels the barriers in his mind fall. He’s inviting her in. She knows it, for Kylo Ren does not easily show weakness to those around him. So she delves into the dark, black hole of his mind, uncertain if she’ll be coming out.

 

_It’s a nightmare. She can tell from the screams echoing through the endless, yet finite, black air._

 

_It’s her screams._

 

_It’s scary that Kylo knows what her screams sound like. She herself doesn’t even know what they sound like anymore! The way her voice rises to an impossibly high pitch, how her voice warbles at the end like she’ll break down and cry. How she sounds so weak, how she sounds so vulnerable and pitifully helpless. She hates the sound of it; hands how tiny it makes her feel._

 

_Kylo fears this? Her screams?_

 

_The darkness shifts. It’s the throne room; Rey can tell from the cold tiles and the giant hologram of Snoke sitting on the throne. Someone kneels at Snoke’s feet. Someone clad in the characteristic dark robes of the Knights of Ren._

 

_He, no she, judging by the subtle yet familiar curves of her body, rises up to stand. As the knight, clad in all black turns around, Rey feels her heart choke up her throat._

 

_It’s her. The woman’s face is so similar, so familiar, that it scares her. The same scar from a scavenging accident on the nape of her neck. The same distinct three buns. But rather than hazel eyes, her eyes are now a sickly shade of yellow. Sith yellow. Her mouth is frozen in a snarl, her eyes crinkling up in the way that Rey knows she always does._

 

_The girl whips out her lightsaber, its silver hilt shaking in her hands while she clicks it to ignite. Red, blood-red blades spin from both ends, deadly weapons of death. Not yellow, not the comforting color of security that Rey has grown to love so much after making her lightsaber. Deep, evil, red._

 

_Snoke’s puppet, forever obedient to follow his orders and to answer to his every call. Rey Ren. The darkness shifts again, and Rey doesn’t know what she will face next._

 

_It’s a body. The first thing that she sees is the familiar, tan colored outfit that was practically molded to her body during her days of Jakku. The same tattered rag. Broken by a million years on a formidable planet of endless sand and loneliness._

 

_But it isn’t just tan. Dark red splotches, almost feathering out onto the fabric like the petals of a pink flower splatter over the front of her robe and travel down to her trousers. Her body is splayed out at weird angles. She doesn’t need to look at the purple bruises any further to know that her bones are broken in quite a few places._

 

_Her face is a different story. Red and blotchy, blood streaming down in tiny rivers onto her face. Some trickle into her open and unmoving mouth, other droplets stain her messy hair a deep burgundy color. Broken. That’s how she looks. A beautiful, broken doll abandoned and forever gone. The light inside now replaced by pure darkness._

 

_This is what she will find in Kylo’s nightmares. A broken Rey. A traitorous Rey. A Rey far beyond any help. Rey is left with her thoughts, her hand clamped over her mouth, her head shaking in an unbelievable nod, when the darkness envelops her sight. A new scene arrives._

 

_Loman is here. Rey takes a few steps back, her fear trumping her division between dreams and reality._

 

_But Loman isn’t focused on her. Well, he is, in an odd sort of sense. He’s holding, in his arms, another Rey. The same one, clad in all dark robes with yellow eyes. Someone that Rey never wants to become._

 

_They kiss. Just that is enough to make Rey dry heave. But another sense envelops her. It is not her feeling; not her emotion. A giant, almost suffocating, wave of sadness, anger, and jealousy all mixed together into a giant soup of suffering and agony._

 

_Rey clamps both of her hands over her mouth again and closes her eyes. No! She doesn’t want to see these things anymore! Her suspicion was right. Kylo’s mind is much too dark for her._

 

_As if understanding her pain and feeling her discomfort, Kylo’s mind brushes away from her own, as gentle as a lover’s touch._

 

The jolt to reality is much better this time. When she comes to, when she manages to regain her senses and control her emotions, she’s aware of a comforting presence. Warm body heat, as radiant as the sun, pressed against her head and her hands. Rey opens her eyes, to find Kylo’s eyes mere inches from her own while his forehead rests against hers.

 

Smooth skin. But now, they don’t feel so flawless. Rey runs her hands over each and every scar on his hands, stories and images flashing through her head as she touches each wound. A clumsy duel. A temper tantrum that caused him to punch through the wall. Screaming, biting down on his hand with his teeth, fueled on by pure rage.

 

“Oh, Kylo,” Rey breathes, feeling so underwhelmed and overwhelmed. “Don’t you _dare_ ever think that I would leave you. I will _never_ die and leave you forever. So don’t get scared, okay?” She says, reaching back a hand to pull her fingers through Kylo’s lush and wavy locks.

 

Kylo closes his eyes. A strangled sound emerges from his mouth, and it sounds so helpless that Rey’s knees go weak. “I know,” Kylo says. “I know you won’t leave me on your own power. But what about Snoke? Loman? The First Order? General Hux?” Kylo’s voice gets louder and louder until he’s practically shouting into the open air. His spittle lands on her face, his voice seemingly making her ears bleed. But Rey does not flinch.

 

“What about,” he continues, in a whisper so soft that Rey could mistake it for her imagination, “me? What if I hurt you?”

 

Rey leans in and plants a kiss onto his lips. “Then,” she whispers back, just as soft, maybe even softer, “I will stay even closer to you.” She chuckles. “Never think, Ben Solo, that you can hurt me more than you can hurt yourself.” Her hands move, and she grabs Kylo’s fingers in a gentle embrace and brings them up so that both of them are lying on her cheek. “With every slap, you break. With every harsh word, every insult or sneer, it’s you that feels the pain. Don’t hide it Ben; I feel it too.”

 

Kylo doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even try to correct her speech, to berate her for using the wrong name. A tiny flutter of something arises in her stomach; a small, struggling butterfly of hope that beats its wings furiously against the dark waters of sadness and loneliness.

 

There is hope yet for Ben Solo. Or, maybe that hope was always there, and all it took was a gentle nudge to bring it back into the light. After all, a caterpillar will always turn into a beautiful butterfly.

 

The door suddenly slides open, and both Rey and Kylo shoot into action.

 

Before Rey’s instincts kick in, before she manages to see who is at the door, Kylo pushed her behind him. Like cuffs, his hands encircle her wrists in a painful, but secure, grip. Like a small child, Rey feels dwarfed by Kylo’s sheer size. All she can see is his broad back, how his back muscles are tense with anticipation.

 

“Meal for Lord Ren and Lady Rey,” says a monotone voice. Kylo’s grip on her wrist relaxes, the cue for Rey to emerge. She has to turn her head down, has to crane her neck at an awkward angle, to see the pitiful little droid that is carrying a giant platter of food.

 

“Awww,” Rey croons, “thank you, little buddy.” She lifts the platter up, and the droid eagerly chirps in response to her enthusiasm. She gives the little fellow an affectionate rub on the antenna, and it rolls steadily out the door.

 

Pushing Kylo out of the way, Rey heads eagerly over to the table and sets down the platter. Ripping the cover off and throwing it off to the side, Rey moans in ecstasy when she sees the piles and heaps of fruit inside. Bright reds. Subtle greens. Beautiful blends of yellow and blue.

 

She reaches for the first bundle of grapes when her hands graze a bottle. Rey pauses, her hunger replaced by curiosity. She lifts the bottle, noticing how the liquid inside sloshes against the edges of the bottle.

 

“That,” Kylo says while walking forward to stop right behind her back, “is the red wine that I ordered.”

 

Rey can barely keep her mind clear. Kylo is right there, his chest brushing against her back. Electricity seems to sparkle in the air, each rub of his chest sending sparks down her entire body.

 

“Oh,” she says, “that sounds good.” She fights to keep an even tone, pushing her desire and lust deep down until they churn in her stomach like a disagreeable meal.

 

Kylo’s arms brush against her own when he reaches to pour the wine into the two glasses on the platter. Unable to fight her desire, failing miserably at keeping the unbeatable opponent at bay, Rey shivers at the feeling of his arms brushing against hers.

 

Just a light touch was all it took to send it over the edge. Was she becoming weak?

 

Kylo finished pouring the drinks and handed Rey a glass. Eyeing the red liquid hesitatingly, Rey took it.

 

“Try it,” Kylo said gently, “you’ll like it. I trust you’ve had alcohol before?”

 

Rey nodded her head. Her time at the Resistance, if she had to be honest, did include a lot of parties and wild nights. Just once she had given in to guilty pleasure, and she sipped a tiny bit of Jessica Pava’s sunglint. If anything, she didn’t enjoy it. It tasted a bit bitter, and she had almost killed herself from coughing it back up.

 

Who knows? Maybe this would be different. She took a hesitant sip.

 

Flavor bombarded her tongue. Sharp raspberry with a tiny hint of jasmine. The oddest combination, but the sweetest taste. No, this was not any vodka. This was delicious! Rey took another sip.

 

Kylo tugged at her hand, and Rey let him lead her to the bed. It wasn’t passionate, like they were going to fuck like wild animals in heat. More gentle. Like a caring lover. She liked this.

 

They sat there for a while, popping grapes into each other’s mouths and giggling at each other’s reactions to the sour ones. Rey’s head soon began to buzz, a tingly feeling that was actually not too bad.

 

When did they fall asleep? It felt like they had laughed for an eternity, drank and ate from dusk until dawn. Rey wasn’t quite sure who was the first to doze off into a dark sleep, or whose body was curled around whose.

 

Was it her imagination? Her crazy, alcohol-fed mind making up the voices? Almost a whisper, but clearer than the loudest shout.

 

“I love you,” said the voice, drifting out into the darkness as a million stars gazed at the two lovers from the window.

 

“I love you too,” Rey responded. So what if the voice wasn’t real?

  
And that was how she fell asleep, happier than she ever imagined she could be. All disturbing dreams of Loman in the past, all whispering fears and screams stilled in her mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sips wine
> 
> I REGRET NOTHING


	53. Chapter 53

His scar was opening again. It hurt like hell and bled like a river. His fingers roamed over the fresh wound, wiping off any excess blood onto his cloak. His eyes glanced towards the clock. 

The meeting should have started already. Fifteen minutes ago, if he wanted to be exact. 

The door slammed open and footsteps, eager and controlled, made their way towards him. The man knew he was late.“I apologize, my Lord,” said the man, bending his back into a low and respectable bow.

“No need to apologize, General Hux,” he said, turning around to face the ginger. “Let’s start. We’ve already lost time, and I believe that you have more meetings about fighter drills in the afternoon.” With a flick of his wrist, two chairs immediately zoomed over and landed gently next to a table. 

And so, the two men sat down. Another flick of his wrist, and the door immediately closed to soundproof the room and block all wandering eyes. It never hurt to be secure and protected. 

The calm demeanor between the two men immediately disappeared. 

“For fuck’s sake, Loman!” The general slammed his hands onto the table in an outburst of poorly contained anger. “You were supposed to have the girl in your clutches yesterday! What happened?” 

Loman scowled, merely a bit irritated by the arrogant general’s outburst. “She was more powerful in her resistance than I expected,” he drawled, remembering to keep his voice composed. 

“Do you have any idea how much trouble your underestimation of her powers caused me? This sets back all of our plans!” General Hux was none too pleased; his voice rising even higher until his spittle was flying through the air. “And on top of that, you just had to get you ass kicked. By that scrawny scavenger, no less.”

“Do not,” Loman said, his voice taking on a dangerous tone, “call that girl such a low word. She is no scavenger. The power she wields, the way she calls the Force so easily to her, makes her a queen in my eyes,” he said. “She could twist your scrawny little neck with a mere glance, general. Do not underestimate her.”

Hux scowled. He hated being treated so poorly by the knights. For years he had been subjected to their subtle jabs at not being able to use the Force. Weak, he was called. Scrawny and useless. A puppet. That would all change with their great plan. 

“Calm down, general,” Loman said, noticing how the man’s expression turned into one of hatred and anger. “Besides, it’s so comforting of you to care about my health, general,” Loman said sarcastically. “We need not worry about Rey,” he said. “That was just a tiny setback. She, and Kylo Ren, have no idea of our plans.”

“I hope Kylo Ren has no idea of our plans,” the general mumbled, leaning back into his chair and gazing out of window while deep in thought. Kylo Ren was protective, almost possessive, of that odd scavenger girl. Hux had heard the rumors of the girl’s power over Kylo Ren. Rumors passed along by the workers, whispering tales of how he was so unhinged over the girl’s safety. Camera footage of that time he had almost killed those two poor mechanics over her safety. Oddly enough, he spared them. 

Even odder, the girl was the one to stop it. Just a simple touch of hers, just some comforting and soothing words from her mouth was all it took to break down Kylo’s tantrum. But what scared Hux the most was the protectiveness that Kylo held for the scavenger. If Kylo ever did find out about Loman and his plan, the consequences would be dire. 

“How much more time do you need?” Hux asked. “The sooner, the better. I don’t want to risk Kylo Ren’s wrath.”

“I told you, general, no need to worry.” Loman stood and walked over to the window. “There is more than one way to clip the wings of a bird,” he said, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of Rey’s mind brushing against his own. The power, the mystique and energy that she held tingled over to his mind; and it was beautiful. But even more beautiful, even more wonderful was the fact that she had no idea that he was there. 

“And,” Loman continued, “there are endless ways to lure a bird into cage.”

Hux sighed with exasperation. “I’ve heard more than enough of your philosophical talks, Loman. I know that you’ve already developed a plan to keep her in your grasp. But what about Kylo Ren? We are still killing him, are we not?”

Loman faltered. The Supreme Leader had not yet decided Kylo Ren’s fate. “All in due time, general. One step at a time. With the girl gone, Kylo Ren will be helpless and weak.”

General Hux stood and made his way to the door. He had fighting drills and construction plans to overview. Yes, he might not be able to wield the Force, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still critical to the upkeep of the First Order. “Very well, Loman. Keep with your plan. I will expect several updates.”

Loman never moved from his silent vigil at the window. As the general left, he curled his fingers. Hux was getting arrogant. When the plan would be finished, he would have to be eliminated. Such a man was a setback. Hux would get drunk on power, and he would not know his place. 

Loman closed his eyes again, letting his mind ever so subtly slip over Rey’s. She was happy, that he could tell by the blinding light she emitted. A bit of fear trickled like a forgotten stream; no doubt the leftovers from his dalliance into her dream. 

Wait. Was she… drunk? Loman knew what alcohol inhibition felt like. 

Loman scowled. He knew who got her drunk. Who was responsible for her happiness. All her thoughts practically revolved around Kylo, her happiness almost choking him. Loman half wanted to stalk down to Kylo’s chambers and give him a much-needed stab through the heart. 

He took a few deep breaths to control his anger. Kylo would be out of the picture soon. All in due time. 

\------------------------------

Rey forgot what it was like to sleep well. Like a baby, like the innocent childhood that she never had. To feel strong arms around her, to clutch onto them like anchors that would pull her out of a storm. Security was such a simple thing, but it made such a huge difference in her world. Something her whole life had revolved around. An abandoned walker to serve as a refuge from the harsh sands. The staff on her back, the wary distance she put between herself and the dark alleys. Security had been the thing she longed after; the key to her survival. 

And she found it, hadn’t she? In Kylo’s strong arms.

The fall to consciousness should have been nice and slow. But as Rey opened her eyes, all she could feel was a stinging headache. Fuck. She forgot what alcohol could do to her. Last time, when she had sipped Jessica’s vodka, she woke up on the bathroom floor. 

All she had was what… one glass of wine? Maybe two? Last night had been a blur, her memories playing a game of hide and seek with her. Her hangover would just be gone after a huge breakfast and a hot shower. With the headache digging into her head like sharp talons, Rey disentangled herself from Kylo’s arms and stumbled into the bathroom. 

The shower water was comfortingly warm. Unwilling, or unable to do anything because of her headache, Rey stood in the shower for a good ten minutes. Groggily and without any strength, Rey managed to clean the rest of her body and her hair, resisting the giant waves of sleepiness and fatigue that crashed over her body like the water from the shower. 

When she finally managed to clumsily step out from the shower, grab a toothbrush (was it hers or Kylo’s?), she threw on a towel and stepped back outside. 

The first thing that hit her was the bright light. Squinting her eyes, Rey groaned at the sharp pang of pain that ran through her head. Even when her eyelids closed and the darkness swam in, she could still feel the painfully bright artificial lights of the lamps in her head. 

She shuffled through the room, squinting and groaning every two steps or so. More than once she bumped into the corner of a table, and her toes were stubbed countless times on chair legs. Finally, after cursing multiple times and clutching her wounds, she managed to make it to the wardrobe. 

Whoops. She forgot to ask the droids to do her laundry. Rolling her eyes and wondering if the day could get any worse, Rey pulled out one of Kylo’s undershirts, a plain black shirt that looked comfortable enough. It might be large, but it would have to do. She pulled it over her head and let it hang loosely over her body. Sure enough, it was huge. Technically, she could throw on a belt and wear the shirt as a dress. 

“Is that my shirt?” Kylo asked, his morning voice sounding way better than Rey’s. Unable to even speak, all Rey could answer with was a mumbled garble that sounded more like a wookie chant than a human word. 

Strong arms enveloped her waist, and Rey felt Kylo’s nose dig into the top of her freshly washed hair. “Keep it,” he said, “it suits you.” Rey smiled, gently placing her hands on Kylo’s and swaying their bodies back and forth. A subtle lover’s dance; their footsteps pacing all throughout the room. 

“I gotta go freshen up. I’ll be right out,” Kylo said, his hands gently leaving Rey’s waist as he made his way over to the bathroom. Rey grumbled when his large hands left her waist. Knowing she had time to kill, she threw herself onto the bed, groaning with happiness at the soft comfort of the beds. 

She fell asleep again. The alcohol swimming in her head, her sore muscles, the bedsheets softer than a cloud; they all combined to drag her deep into sleep once more. 

“Oh? What’s this?”

Rey opened her eyes to find herself in a dream; her feet stepping in the soft grass of Ach-to. She didn’t even have to turn around to find the source of the voice. Loman stood nearby, his black cloak a stark contrast to the blue and sunny skies. 

It was a dream. Rey had been foolish to fear him last time. It was easy, more accomplishable than she thought, to leave a dream. So, letting her fear be swept away by the sweet breeze, she laid down onto the fresh grass. 

“Nice choice this time, scavenger. Better than that wasteland Jakku.”

Rey frowned at Loman’s choice of words, her eyes still fixated on the birds flying above. “It’s not a wasteland,” Rey said, “it’s quite beautiful to me. What I’ve noticed though, from all my years scavenging there; the sands respond to the person’s attitude.”

Loman scoffed. “What is that supposed to mean? Really, girl, you sound like a pretentious philosopher.” He paused, bending down to twirl a blade of grass between his fingers. “Next, you’ll be telling me that I should respect my elders and help the poor.”

 

Rey frowned even more. “Well, shouldn’t you always respect your elders? And help the poor?”

Rey could practically hear the contempt in Loman’s voice when he next spoke. “Ah, yes, I forgot that you still keep to the pathetic virtues of the Jedi. Your last dream, on Jakku; the one with the little girl. Why did you even try to protect that little rat?”

Rey sat up so she could better glare at Loman. Even in her dreams, he was still a massive pain in the arse. “Maybe because I’m a good person. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Really? The right thing to do?” Loman said, a questioning tone in his voice. “I don’t believe you for a second. I think you helped that scrawny little pest because she reminded you of yourself.”

 

Rey didn’t correct him, and Loman took a hesitant step forward.

“Ahh, I’ve hit a sore spot, haven’t I?” Loman chuckled, and Rey could feel the happiness in her own head drain away at the sound of his evil laugh. “Poor little thing. Haven’t you wondered, after you left Jakku, if she’s still alive? If anyone still bothered to throw her scraps and rags?”

Rey’s eyes twitched, her fingers tightening into a fist. Loman’s steps grew closer.

“Is she still alive, crying out for you in her dreams? Or are her bones already bleached white by the harsh desert sun? Have the mantha lizards gotten to her dead corpse? Is she an unrecognizable pile of blood and gore lying on the sand, her body already forgotten and forsaken?”

Rey closed her eyes. 

“Do you think she blames you? Do you think she cursed your name as she died?” Loman was whispering in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. 

Rey couldn’t stand it anymore. Calling on the Force, feeding off of her anger, her disgust, her hatred for herself for giving in so easily to his taunts, Rey pushed Loman far away from her with as much as she could muster. 

He went flying. Loman didn’t just stagger for a few steps. He didn’t just groan in discomfort. No, he sailed through the air like a newborn bird, skidding to a land meters away from where he originally stood, troughs forming in the dirt as his limbs collided with the hard ground. 

Rey panted. 

It felt good. Her hands tingled with power like electricity, her nerves standing on edge like trees blown in a hurricane. Her stomach coiled, a mixture of disgust and anticipation. 

Instead of staying down, Loman grunted with effort and stood up once more. Rey’s hand immediately flew to her hip, where she knew her lightsaber would be waiting. She had prepared after the disastrous last dream; making sure to conjure up an image of her lightsaber every night before she went to sleep. As Loman shakily stood and wiped the edge of his mouth on his cloak, Rey’s fingers eagerly twitched around the hilt of her lightsaber with anticipation for the upcoming battle. 

Loman laughed again. His eyes, when they landed on her own, were not filled with the violence and bloodlust she was expecting, but rather with anticipation and… happiness?

“You fear that?” He said, laughing softly. “You fear the tiny death of a pest? Oh, no, my girl, there are much worse things to fear, trust me. I’ve seen them, your deepest fears.” Loman waved an arm, and the landscape shifted. 

The throne room. Rey was at the steps leading up the throne, and Snoke’s hologram stood but a few meters away. Rey snarled, turning to face Loman. “Really? You think this is what I fear the most? I’ve already been in front of the Supreme Leader. Your cowardly worm of a leader does not even merit a spark of fear in me.”

“Not the Supreme Leader,” Loman said, gesturing in another direction. “Him.”

As she turned to see what Loman was pointing towards, Rey felt the weight of something in her hand. Glancing down, she recognized the blood-red orange of a lightsaber. It was her lightsaber, her saberstaff. But instead of yellow blades, they were red. 

Rey shivered. It was just like what she had seen in Kylo’s mind. 

Her saberstaff was not the worst thing. As she completed her turn, her gaze fell on something much, much worse, and all her fears of the orange blades in her hand immediately flew out of the window in the face of a worse vision. 

Kylo’s body, dead and lifeless, lay on the cold stone floor. Closed eyes, no visible sign of a breath or a pulse. Open wounds on his chest, slashes and stabs. 

Shrieking loudly, sobbing like a newborn child separated from its mother, Rey threw her saberstaff far away and rushed to Kylo’s side. He was already cold, his pale face lifeless and clammy as she held it in her lap. 

Rey told herself it was just a dream. Nothing but a harmless dream. But as she laid there, crying her heart out over the dead body of the love of her life, the pain felt more real than anything she had ever felt in reality. 

“Trust me when I say this Rey,” Loman said, “this is but one possibility.” Rey felt his hand brush against her back, but she was too far gone in her sorrow to care. “Believe me, Rey, there is a way to prevent this. Something that will give you the power to stop this, the power to save those you love.”

“The Dark side.”

Rey screamed. 

She continued screaming even as she jolted back to reality. Strong arms were shaking her body back and forth, a fearful voice screaming out her voice. As she opened her eyes, all Rey could feel was fear. 

“Rey! Rey!” Kylo’s eyes, inches from her own, were frantic with worry. He was shaking her, his strong arms clamped on her biceps. When he saw her open her eyes, saw her take a shaky breath, he let out a deep exhale and squashed her to his chest. 

“It was just a nightmare,” he whispered. “Don’t worry about it. I’m here for you.”

Rey gulped back her fear. A voice, sinister and deep, rang through her head. 

“Remember my words, Rey. Come to me.”


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHIT GOES DOWWWNNNN

Rey knew exactly what she had to do. The only problem was; she didn’t want to to do it. 

 

They had fallen asleep soon after Rey’s nightmare. With Kylo’s strong and possessive arm draped across her tiny body, there was no where else that Rey would have rather been. She would trade an eternity in heaven for just a second in these powerful and gentle arms. 

 

Loman’s last words still rang in her head long after Kylo’s breath had elongated into soft snores. His nose, resting against her mane of hair, tickled her scalp with each breath that he took. He seemed utterly peaceful, with no worries in the world. 

 

Almost as peaceful as his dead corpse in Loman’s vision of what he deemed was the future. Rey shivered as the memory flooded through her veins like the medicine that she would pay uncountable portions on Jakku for. 

 

The hours ticked by; the digital numbers on the screen getting increasingly higher. 

 

Rey still couldn’t shake Loman’s last words from her mind. 

 

“ _ Come to me,”  _ he had said. He had sounded so sure of himself, as if he knew that she would come no matter what. Loman had already discovered her weakness. 

 

The people she cared about would become Rey’s doom. Finn, Poe, and now, Kylo, were all a part of those that she held dear in her heart. She would do anything, kill anyone, even sacrifice herself if it meant that they could stay safe. 

 

And Loman knew this. He was playing with her, dangling the safety of Kylo right in front of her eyes while whispering threats of torture and pain. He knew that Rey was helpless. She could threaten him all she wanted to, and try her hardest to escape; but in the end, Loman would ultimately be the one to emerge victorious from their little game. 

 

Snoke…. He was planning something too. Perhaps  _ he  _ was the one who was guiding Loman on his evil path. Rey just knew that something was off. Something evil and sinister was about to rear its head; and Rey just hoped that she and Kylo would be able to escape it unscathed. 

 

But fate never did let these two lovers leave unharmed. Kylo’s scar, an ugly gash across his face, was proof that what could go wrong would go wrong. 

 

Rey glanced again at the clock. It was already 6 a.m. Knowing that her restless mind would not allow her any rest at all, Rey quietly disentangled herself from Kylo and pattered softly to her wardrobe. 

 

She wanted to find out what was wrong. If she wanted to keep Kylo safe, she  _ needed _ to expose Loman’s plan. Tugging on a coat and clipping the lightsaber at her side, Rey set her mind with determination. Settling into a comfy chair, she closed her eyes and focused on meditating. When she felt her breathing become even, she started to utilize the Force. 

 

Reaching out with the Force, she was overwhelmed as she usually was by the pure amount of life on the First Order’s ship. The innocent energies of the newborn clones mixed with the harsh commands of individual commanders. And there was pain. So much pain that it had caused Rey to throw up once. 

 

There was one Force signature that pulsed with more evil energy than the rest. It was like a dark smog settling over a peaceful valley, and it belonged to no one but Loman. 

 

Rey’s own Force signature, a tiny beam of light, inched closer and closer to Loman’s mind. His usually chaotic mind was now quelled, no doubt with sleep and rest. 

 

This was her chance! If she could slip in quickly and manage to be unnoticed, Loman would have no chance to raise his mental walls. Taking a deep breath, she focused on dimming his Forces signature.

 

Sneaking like a thief in the middle of the night, (wasn’t that what she was? A thief trying to steal knowledge?) Rey quickly inched her way into Loman’s mind. 

 

The first thing that she registered was the pure  _ evil  _ in his mind. It was thick, like smoke, and she gagged on the sensation. The evil, so overwhelming, made her feel dizzy and nauseous. 

 

_ No, she had a mission… she had to complete it.  _

 

She reached for the first memory, and merely brushed it with the lightest touch she could muster. 

 

All at once, the moment she touched it, everything went to hell. 

 

The evil rose once more, the smoke of it choking her even more and clouding her vision until Rey was forced to shut her eyes. When she opened her mouth to scream, all that came out were hacking coughs. 

 

She raised her arms to protect her head, preparing for the assault that was no doubt going to come. Loman was ruthless and cruel, and he was able to cause huge amounts of pain that left his victims gasping for breath on the floor. 

 

But the attack never came. Instead of throwing her away and expelling her back from his mind, Loman instead drew Rey  _ into  _ his mind. The darkness moved so fast, so quickly with malicious intent that Rey never had a chance to flee. She didn’t even get a chance to reach out to Kylo for help.

 

When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in Kylo’s chambers. 

 

It was a room that was very similar to Kylo’s, though. The same steel walls with metallic shine. The same mahogany desk shoved in a far off corner and crammed full of papers and files. 

 

It was not the same person reclining on the bed. Instead of Kylo’s peaceful face and quiet snores, Rey instead found herself staring at Loman Ren. 

 

He wasn’t asleep anymore. 

 

“I should have known you would try to weasel your way in, my little scavenger,” he said quietly, not moving from his comfortable position on the bed. “It’s a shame for you that you weren’t too successful.”

 

Rey snarled, pacing around the room. “What is this, Loman?” She asked, gesturing around towards the room. “Why the hell am I in your room.”

 

Loman finally raised himself into a sitting position on his bed. “Oh, you’re not here in real life. Look down at yourself quickly, and you’ll see what I mean.”

 

Rey begrudgingly followed his directions. When she caught a glimpse of her see-through arms that looked almost like a hologram, she gasped. 

 

“You’re not here. At least, not physically.” Loman fully stood, and Rey saw that he was dressed in nothing but trousers and an undershirt. “Your mind is what brought you here. Your curiosity allowed you to take some sort of semi-physical form in my presence.” As he trudged over to the wardrobe and pulled on a shirt, he didn’t even glance towards her direction. “What were you trying to pull from my mind?”

 

Rey crossed her arms across her chest and plastered her best nonchalant expression onto her face. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said in a cool tone.

 

With his cloak now fully on, Loman stalked towards her. He came so close, practically invading her personal space, that Rey could feel the goosebumps start to rise on her skin. 

 

“If you’re going to lie to me,” he said, “At least have the bravery to say it right to my face.”

 

Losing her bravado, Rey sighed. “Fine. I was trying to find out what you wanted for me. What’s your reason for all of this, Loman? Why did you create this artificial bond between us?”

 

Loman cocked his head to one side, the way a predator of the sky does when it sees its prey. “Maybe,” he said, “I don’t like to share my things with others.” In the next second, before Rey could find her voice and question him about what he meant with those words, he withdrew from his near proximity, and stalked back to the desk. 

 

“That’s it?” Rey asked, enraged at the poor answer that only left her more confused and lost. “Is that all you’re going to tell me? Can you at least tell me something that makes sense?”

 

“If you want answers, then come to me. Didn’t I say that tonight? Didn’t I show you the future and give you a chance to save yourself?” His voice was condescending, like he was berating a spoiled child. “Come on Rey, don’t deny fate and the future. We both know that you’re fighting a losing battle. Meet with me, and I can tell you the full story of your destiny.” A sneer crossed his face. “Kylo Ren is as oblivious as always. If you trust him to tell you everything, I can tell you now that you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

 

Rey curled her fists. He was still talking in his signature language full of brainy riddles. Was it humanly possible for him speak clearly for once? “Fine,” she snapped, having no patience to deal with him. “We can meet. Tell me where.”

 

Pulling on his boots, Loman finally settled into the chair behind the mahogany desk. Crossing his arms on the wooden table, he leaned forward and locked eyes with her. “Here, of course,” he said. “I’ll be waiting. Do not disappoint me.”

 

He waved his hand, and suddenly Rey’s vision became a blur of indistinguishable colors. 

 

Faster than she could say the word “rainbow”, she found herself once again seated in the chair of Kylo’s rooms. Right across from her was another mahogany desk; this one more familiar and comfortable. 

 

Kylo was still sleeping on the bed with soft snores and a relaxed body. Scars littered his chest, deep gashes and shallow cuts. Rey flinched at the images of harsh, pink skin and freshly dried scabs. 

 

Still, a wounded and scarred Kylo was better than a dead Kylo on any given day. 

 

Loman wanted her to meet him in his quarters. Rey detested the idea of being in the most private quarters of such a hated enemy, but she really had no choice. If she was to find out what Loman really wanted and save those closest to her, then she had to go. 

 

She shrugged on a heavy coat and her soft leather boots. As she pulled on the cloak, she could feel the familiar bulge of her lightsaber pressing into her side. 

 

Did she need it? Rey decided to bring it anyway. Loman, after all, was the most untrustworthy person on the ship.

 

As she exited the room and slid the door quietly on her hinges, a soft spoken word from Kylo made her look back in hesitation. 

 

He grumbled, shifted around on the bedsheets, and became still once more. Figuring that it might have been a hallucination of her sleep-deprived mind, Rey prepared to leave once more. But again she heard it. This time, it was louder. 

 

“Rey,” Kylo murmured in his sleep. “Rey. Rey. Mmmm.”

 

How sweet. Rey quickly shut the door before Kylo could see the blush. Even in his sleep, he chanted her name. Rey had never felt so loved and cared for in her entire life, and it made her feel so weak. 

 

She would be back before Kylo awoke. 

 

Setting down at a brisk pace, Rey quickly and efficiently roamed through the hallways. Every time she heard the distinct sound of the coordinated march of stormtroopers, she hid behind a wall until the footsteps receded around a corner. Her own footsteps, as soft as shadows, ran through the hallways at a brisk pace. 

 

Finally, she reached the doors that she knew held Loman Ren. Steeling herself, she raised a hand to the door and prepared to knock. 

 

Immediately, before her knuckles even made contact with the elaborately decorated wooden door, it swung open silently. Rey pushed it forward with hesitation, and stepped inside. 

 

He was sitting in the exact same position that Rey had seen him last. With his arms laid across the table, his upper torso leaning towards the door, he seemed every bit like a predator. His glittery eyes never left Rey’s as she cautiously made her way towards the desk. When she was about ten feet away and couldn’t bear to watch his eyes follow her, she stopped. 

 

“Well?” She asked. “I came like you asked. Are you going to keep your side of the promise?” As she spoke, Rey’s hand rested on her lightsaber. Some evil sort of energy was pulsing through the room, and Rey began to regret even coming. 

 

Loman stood, and Rey could see the hilt of not just one, but  _ two  _ lightsabers peeking out from his cloak. “I did promise you that I would tell you everything. Do you want to know your destiny? The  _ true  _ secret of your birth; not just the lies that Skywalker fed you?”

 

Rey didn’t respond. She didn’t need to; Loman already knew the answer.

 

“If you want it,” he said, “Then fight for it.” In one smooth motion, he activated both of his lightsabers. The color of it, red with a bit of orange, bathed the room. While Kylo’s lightsaber was crackling and unstable like him, Loman’s was every bit as cruel and controlled as himself. 

 

Rey activated her own lightsaber, and suddenly the color of yellow clashed with the harsher contrast of red. Both Rey and Loman, in one joint effort with the Force, threw the mahogany desk to the side and lunged towards each other. 

 

Rey had learned of how the wielders of double-sabers fought. Ahsoka Tano, one of them, had earned fame and recognition for her masterful skill with her double swords. Some said that she had been pure grace and control on the battlefield; others said that she was as cruel as an avenging angel. 

 

It was ironic, in a sense. Rey’s two blades were conjoined with a staff; but Loman’s were separate and unique. 

 

Rey found it harder than she had expected to block his attacks. Sometimes he would just use his right one; and other times he feinted with the one in his left hand. Faster and faster Rey had to twirl her lightsaber to fend off his attacks, and suddenly her progress was made in backward steps of defense, not forward steps of attack. 

 

She cursed herself for her foolishness. Loman was stronger than her; and his attacks were increasing with strength while her own energy was already diminishing like a dying star. She was a fool, an insufferable  _ fool  _ for thinking that she could beat him. 

 

Curiosity truly did kill the cat. She wanted to know so badly that it made her  _ heart  _ beat painfully loud against her chest. Snoke wanted something to do with her, and Loman was in on his plan. 

 

Loman’s next strike almost chopped her arm off. With a hasty and unorganized block, she managed to swat his lightsaber away before he attacked once again with renewed vigor.

 

In a last-ditch attempt, Rey called out for Kylo across their bond. 

 

_ Kylo! _

 

Loman laughed suddenly, a vicious sound that echoed onimously with the ringing of the lightsabers. “Foolish girl,” he spit out between clenched teeth, “That aggorant little boy can’t help you now.”

 

No response. Merely silence on his end and the sound of buzzing lightsabers on hers. As Loman’s next attack grazed her arm, Rey cried out in pain and tried once more. 

 

_ Kylo! Wake up! I need your help! _

 

She felt a tiny stirring on his side; but he did not rise. Loman’s attacks were getting stronger and stronger while her own steps and parries were becoming slow and sluggish. Her forms became sloppier and sloppier until she threw away all training and began to slash and hack in a desperate attempt for survival. 

 

Loman finally pinned her against the wall, his blades getting so close to Rey’s face in each attack that the heat nearly burned her. Knowing that her defeat was inevitable, she cried out one more time, the last attempt of the dying. 

 

_ Ben! _

 

Right as Loman extended his hand and hit her so hard with a push of the Force that it sent her slumping down the wall, Rey felt Kylo wake up at the sound of his old name. A tight grip formed on her throat, and Rey fought for breath as she realized that Loman was holding her in a choke hold. 

 

_ Ben!  _ She cried out, desperate to know that at least one person would remember who she was before her death and uncertain fate.  _ Ben! Help me! _

 

_ Rey?  _ He had just awoken; Rey could tell by the grogginess of his waking mind. As her fear flooded through their minds, Rey could feel his own panic.  _ Rey! Where are you? Are you okay? _

 

Dark spots swam in her head. Her breath was coming in short and quick gasps.  _ Ben,  _ she said,  _ Ben! I love you, Ben! _

 

Loman’s eyes flashed in her vision, and for a fleeting second, Rey swore she saw the face of God. 

 

_ “Judgement comes for everyone,” said the old mystic on Jakku. “In the end, we all face the same doom. Death. The only question is, how will you be judged? Do your good deeds quell the evil of your bad ones?” _

 

_ Rey had smirked back then and shook her head at the old man’s words. But every night, as she gazed towards the sky, she couldn’t help but hear the old man’s words drift through her mind.  _

 

_ What if God really came for her? What if all her bad deeds really were too evil to be quenched by her good works? _

 

In Loman’s eyes, she saw judgement. In his eyes, she saw her fate. It was while staring into his eyes that Rey blacked out; allowing the darkness to take her as its newest recruit. 

 

\-------------------------

 

Kylo awoke with a bolt. 

 

_ Ben! _

 

The voice echoed clearly through his head, and Kylo glanced around the room, looking for who dared to utter his dead name. No one, not even Rey, was in sight. ‘

 

_ Ben! Ben, help me! _

 

He knew that voice. It was Rey. Cursing, screaming at himself for not noticing how she managed to sneak off in the middle of the night, he scrambled out of bed and pulled on a cloak before snatching his lightsaber. 

 

_ Rey? _ Kylo asked, reaching through the bond to see what was wrong. All he got were not words, but rather flashes of fear and pain that surged through him like they were his own emotions. She was in trouble, and he wouldn’t be able to save her if he didn’t know where she was.  _ Rey! Where are you? Are you okay? _

 

She didn’t respond. The fear grew stronger, and pain started to shoot up Kylo’s neck. He knew what a Force choke hold was. Wherever Rey was, she was definitely being harmed. 

 

But where was she? He closed his eyes, and tried his hardest to shut out the panic thumping in his chest. 

 

_ He got a flash of a face in front of his own, of red eyes and a hungry look. He could hear the buzzing of three distinct lightsabers, and he watched as the yellow and red colors danced across the walls.  _

 

_ The breath was leaving from his lungs, and he fought for each and every breath as it got harder and harder. Black spots and fuzzy lines broke his vision, the dizziness combining with the nausea as he slowly faded into darkness.  _

 

Kylo opened his eyes again and he growled. He knew that face all too well. Wherever Rey was, Loman was there also. And, by the looks of it,  _ he  _ was the one who was choking her. 

 

Overwhelmed by his hatred for Loman and his fear for Rey’s safety, Kylo let out a loud battle cry and quickly sliced the door in half with his lightsaber. Stomping down the hallways without his helmet, he slashed and hacked at anything he could break. 

 

Where was she? He was just about to reach for her again when she spoke once more.  _ Ben, Ben, I love you. _ Her voice was quiet and subdued, and she sounded just like a lamb waiting for its slaughter. 

 

When he tried to reach back for her, to speak to her and try to just understand where she was, he felt her disappear from the bond. Not just quieted or quelled, like it would be if she just wanted some privacy. No. She was completely gone. 

 

The sensation was so odd that Kylo stopped slashing. 

 

It was like his soul was ripped in half. Something was gone. It was as if there had been a candle in the dark night, and a giant wind had just snuffed it out in less than a second. With Rey gone from his head, he nearly drowned under the pressure of his own anger and hatred. He grabbed for an anchor, for anything to save him, but there was no more Rey to lend him a helpful hand. 

 

Before he knew it, he had stalked into the command room of the spaceship. Lo and behold, Hux stood in the center of the room, giving a speech that echoed through the ears of all the knights and high commanders gathered in the room. Breathing hard and panting, Kylo focused on listening to the ginger-haired commander’s speech.

 

“....And from this day forward, the scavenger will be under the control of the Emperor Loman. Supreme Leader Snoke had announced that Stage 2 of our great plan will now be put into action.”

 

There were murmurs around the room. Stage 2? Kylo’s mind briefly flashed back to a meeting from ages past, and he dully remembered how Stage 2 encompassed the idea of total dominion over the universe. Not to mention, the unleashing of the First Order’s clone army. 

 

As Kylo growled and the entire room quaked when he revealed his presence, Hux slowly turned and smiled a malicious grin in his direction. 

 

“Ah. The Supreme Leader issued another order. The elimination of the Master of the Knights of Ren,” he said. “Sorry, Ren, but you’re no longer needed. I hope Hell suits your needs. Troopers, fire at will at Kylo Ren.”

 

Kylo raised an eyebrow. Snoke was trying to kill him? He was going to throw away his padawan that he had groomed and stolen from Skywalker’s prestigious academy? He had trained him for so long, had invested so many resources in grooming the perfect weapon for the First Order. 

 

His father’s words echoed in his mind. “ _ He’ll throw you away in the end.” _

 

Indeed, this was the end, but Kylo knew that he would not die. Did Hux really think  _ troopers _ were adequate enough to kill him? Kylo bent his knees, waiting to block the first shots that would soon come. Indeed, he did hear the sound of a blaster, but it did not come in his direction. 

 

Hux stood, a red puddle forming on his chest. With a look of suprise, and fear in his eyes, he finally crumpled to the ground and gave up the last of his evil spirit. Turning around and looking for who had shot him, Kylo found himself looking at Phasma. 

 

A trooper ran forward and placed a hand over Hux’s neck to search for a pulse. When he found none, he arose. “He’s dead!” 

 

Another knight, one that Kylo knew was named Tyranus, slowly pointed a finger at the master of the knights of Ren. “Well, what are we waiting for? Kill him!” The Troopers once again raised their weapons to the ready and began to prepare to fire. 

 

Phasma, however, had a different approach. “No! Stand your ground, troopers!” The stormtroopers hesitatingly lowered their guns, and shuffled from side to side as they looked to conflicting lieutenants for directions. Some were yelling at them to continue to fire, while others commanded them to not raise a finger against Kylo Ren. 

 

The First Order was torn. Commanders started to stand beside the dead body of Hux and declare their allegiance to Loman and Snoke, while others moved to stand beside Phasma and himself. Kylo realized what this was. He had read about this in a book a long time ago. 

 

Civil War. 

 

As Phasma and Tyranus both raised their weapons once more and the call to battle arose, both sides began once again to shoot and to kill. Battles and cries arose in the room, and chaos reigned. 

 

The battle spread out of the command room as colonels and generals tried to rally their troops. People were fighting and loyalties were quickly becoming torn as troops were forced to choose between sides. Kylo Ren and Phasma? Or Loman and Snoke?

 

Blocking a shot from a trooper who had clearly chosen the latter side, Kylo briskly walked through the carnage of the battle and stepped cleanly over the bodies on the floor. Only one thought echoed in his mind. 

  
Where was Rey?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REY IS NOT DEAD SO NO NEED TO WORRY


	55. Chapter 55

The battle had spread beyond the control room and the nearby hallways. Glancing outside the window, Kylo watched as several planes and fighters began to shoot at the ship and each other. He had no idea what the idiots in there were aiming at, since there was no way to distinguish one side from the other. 

 

Hux was dead. The sniveling little coward had finally been silenced. Kylo’s only regret was that he had not been the one to shoot the fatal shot. Had he had his way, Hux would have a giant gaping cauterized lightsaber wound. 

 

The ginger had clearly been planning something with the higher leaders in the First Order. And Snoke? Kylo no longer held any respect for his old master. He had tried to eliminate him; and Kylo took pride in the fact that Snoke viewed him as a serious threat. A threat so serious that he had to be killed. 

 

Loman and Snoke were nowhere to be seen among the carnage. 

 

Rey was gone. Kylo felt as if he couldn’t breathe, as if steel hands were tightening around his throat and squeezing every inch of life out of him. Without Rey, he was not complete. Without Rey, he was not  _ himself _ . Without Rey, the darkness was slowly and surely creeping into her mind once again like treacherous poison. 

 

Then, Kylo felt it. The tiny candle of light was slowly reigniting in his chest. Rey! Rey was alive! More importantly, she was nearby. Throwing a gaggle of nearby stormtroopers into the wall using the Force, Kylo glanced around the vast starship hangar that he was currently standing in. 

 

He ducked as a ship flew right over his head, the heat of its engines burning the edges of his hair. 

 

The flame inside of his grew stronger, and Kylo knew that  _ she  _ was nearby. An alarm started to blare in the far off distance, and smoke started to pour into the air field. A nearby door, designed to be large enough to house several of the First Order’s biggest fighter planes, slid open. 

 

Smoke was not the only thing that emerged. Kylo watched with apprehension as Loman stepped out into the battlefield. 

 

On his face was a look of boredom as he took in the scene of battle. Even when a stormtrooper fell dead at his feet, he did not blink an eye but merely nudged away the corpse with a flick of his toe and a sneer of disgust. 

 

Kylo  _ hated _ Loman. He hated him so much that the hatred ran like fire through his bones. But it was what was in Loman’s arms that stopped him from charging at him like a wild animal. 

 

Rey. Her body, limp and unconscious like a doll, hung loosely in Loman’s arms. It was a mirror bridal carry of the same thing that Kylo had done to her on Takadona. But while Kylo’s hold had conveyed security and comfort, Loman’s arms looked like a cage. Even from his far distance, Kylo could see the bruise marks on Rey’s neck. They were dark purple and a deep blue, and Kylo clenched his fists as he prepared to charge and kill Loman. 

 

He never did get a chance to kill Loman. Something stabbed his arm, and soon the image of Phasma’s chrome helmet flooded his vision. “What,” he murmured as the sedative did its job and dark spots began to flood his vision, “What did you give me?”

 

“Sorry, Ren,” said Phasma, calling him by the name that she had always called him during their teenage years as new First Order recruits, “We gotta get out of here if we want to live. I’ve already gathered all our loyal troops onto ships.”

 

“No,” murmured Ren, his knees buckling as the drug did its work. “No. Can’t leave. Save Rey I must.”

 

“Worry about that later, Yoda,” said Phasma while troopers began to haul him further and further away from Loman and the unconscious Rey in his arms. “We gotta get out of here now if we want to survive. I promise you that we’ll have a chance later to kill these bastards.”

 

With Phasma’s promise ringing in his head, Kylo let the darkness take him. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

Finn and Poe had been kissing, quite furiously, when the messenger barged into their rooms. 

 

Ever the gentlemen, Poe had been the one to take the message while Finn blushed furiously and hid behind Poe’s back until the messenger had closed the door behind him. 

 

“What is it?” Finn asked, wrapping his arms around Poe’s shoulders while he scanned the message. It was hastily written, the sprawling cursive on it a distinct characterization that belonged to the one and only Leia Organa. 

 

“Oh no. Ohhhh no.” Poe stood up abruptly, and Finn let out a sigh of complaint when his arms were roughly disengaged from Poe’s strong back. “We’ve got to get moving. Something big just came up. The General’s asking for us.”

 

\--------------------------------

 

In the control room, Finn watched as the General paced to and fro on the cold tile floor. Her heels made a clicking sound each time she took a step, and her agitation was evident in the way her hands were clamped like fists behind her back. 

 

Admiral Jenerning shifted awkwardly on his feet. “General, what’s the pro-”

 

Cutting him off, the General got right to the point. “This morning, around 10:00 hours, we got a report from our spies that something drastic happened in the First Order.”

 

Poe snorted. “What, did Kylo Ren run out of shampoo for his luscious hair?” The room erupted in chortles, but they were quickly silenced by the General’s stern face. Poe barely had time to mutter an apology before she continued to speak. 

 

“We managed to get reports before they were cut off abruptly.” Clicking a button, the General pulled up a holovid. 

 

Finn gasped as he recognized the hangar of the First Order. He had been placed on the old base what seemed like centuries ago. The view was shaky, as if the taker had been running. 

 

Smoke, dark grey and wispy, settled around the image like a ghostly background. The sound of blaster bolts and cannon shots echoed from the holovid to a static scraping noise into the control room. Finn winced when he saw a stormtrooper get tossed through the air like a doll. 

 

“General! The First Or-” static quickly cut off the speech of the spy, but the images of battle could still be seen. The camera moved up to allow a view of the skies, and a plane flew close enough to the camera that Finn could count all the wheels on the bottom. “-w civil war!” 

 

The control room burst into murmurs at the revelation. The General was the only one who remained calm as everyone, including Finn and Poe, began to launch questions. 

 

“Who’s leading the rebellion if this is a civil war in the First Order?”

 

“Where’s this base?”

 

“Is this a fake? Is it a trap?”

 

“Where’s Kylo Ren?”

 

The last question, stern words that had slipped out from Poe’s mouth, was ultimately the only thing to quiet the crowds. Everyone turned to face the General for an explanation. 

 

With a grave face, she shook her head. “I don’t know if Kylo Ren was at this battle. The Force tells me he is alive, but from his side I am getting… tumultuous…. thoughts and feelings.”

 

Some people grumbled knowing that Kylo Ren was still alive. Finn didn’t dare to. He knew that the General still loved her son, although he had killed so many of her loved ones. Han Solo, and so many unnamed heroes of the rebellion had been killed by her own flesh and blood. 

 

“Well, what are we going to do? If this really is a civil war, then should we try and attack while the First Order is weakened?” Finn’s question was met with appreciative murmurs from everyone around the room. 

 

“No, we are not going to attack,” said the General. “We’re riding out this new information until we have a good grasp on what’s going on. It might be a trap designed to lure us in, for all we know.”

 

Finn nodded. He understood just what the General meant about the traps. A lifetime of serving under the First Order had taught him just how cruel they could be in trying to lure out their enemies. 

 

“That’s all. I just wanted everyone to know about this new information. Go on, now, back to your stations.” The crowd soon dissipated, and Finn could tell that he was not the only one disappointed by the General’s decision to remain in the shadows. 

 

“Want to go to the plane bay?” Poe asked Finn. Knowing that there was nothing else for them to do, Finn decided to follow along. 

 

It was as they were working on polishing the wing on Poe’s custom-made fighter plane that Finn finally spoke his fear out aloud. 

 

“Do you think Rey’s okay?”

 

It felt like an eternity since he and Poe had seen their three-bunned and eternally-smiling friend. She had zoomed away on the falcon according to Luke Skywalker, and had made her way to Kylo Ren and the First Order. No one had yet told the Resistance of why she wanted to leave, but Finn knew that it had something to do with Kylo Ren. With the news of the civil war within the First Order, and with the Resistance having not even an inkling of knowledge about Rey’s location, it was hard to know whether or not she was still safe. 

 

Poe sighed and put down his rag. “She’s a strong girl. I know she can take care of herself. I just think that sometimes she cares too much about keeping people around her safe.”

 

Finn nodded. Poe knew exactly what he was thinking. Rey, being the sweet and caring girl that she always had been, would not doubt go out of her way to keep those around her safe. Even if they were her enemies, Rey would definitely want no harm to come to those around her. Finn could still remember the words she had uttered after the First Order had raided one of the nearby planets. 

 

_ “The death toll is at 20,000, and it’s rising,” said the General.  _

 

_ Finn clapped a hand on Rey’s shoulder, who was visibly upset. “Don’t be sad, Rey,” he said, “They didn’t die because of you. Don’t blame yourself. This is war; and things like this happen.” At his words, the general nodded in agreement.  _

 

_ Rey wiped away a solitary tear that had trailed its way down her cheek. “I know this is war,” she said, “But that doesn’t give us the excuse to slaughter each other like animals. We’re all a part of this universe, aren’t we? What gives us the right to think that it’s okay to just take another person’s life?” _

 

_ Finn had opened his mouth to respond. Then, he had closed it when he realized that Rey was completely and unmistakingly right.  _

 

Finn just hoped that the bright-eyed, cheerful girl whom he hadn’t seen in so long was safe and sound wherever she was. 

 

\--------------------------------

 

When Rey awoke, she found herself in chains. 

 

She was sitting on some sort of makeshift bed, which was basically a giant mat laid down onto the floor. The sheets were made up of some pathetic excuse for a blanket, and Rey groaned when she felt the pain in back. She must have been out for a while. 

 

As she tried to reach behind her to stretch out her back, she realized that her hands were bound together by thick metal handcuffs. 

 

Eh. Handcuffs were nothing compared to the Force. Channeling together as much energy as she could muster, Rey gritted her teeth and focused on her breathing. When she thought that she had finally managed to gather enough energy, she  _ pushed _ with her hands against the handcuffs. 

 

Nothing. She was still bound. The handcuffs must be Force-immune. Cursing her luck and cursing herself once again for being so curious and falling into Kylo’s trap, she banged her head against the wall and winced at the pain that followed soon after. 

 

_ Kylo _ . She had left him behind. She was so foolish, so idiotic, simpleminded, dense, and ignorant for thinking that Loman would actually tell her everything. And now, wherever Kylo was, he was lonely and probably pondering where she was. 

 

No, she didn’t view herself as the damsel in distress. She didn’t need to cry and complain and wait like a pitiful victim for a hero to barge in and save her. She knew she was smart enough to find a way out on her own. After all, hadn’t she survived for so many years alone on Jakku? 

 

Where was she? Looking around the cold room, Rey could tell that she was still with the First Order. The metal walls and chrome platings were telltale signs that she was still being held in captivity by the very monsters that she hated. 

 

Something blinked from across the room, a bright red light that pulsed with life. By the looks of the lenses, it was a camera. 

 

Rey sneered. They were  _ recording _ her now? Fine. She would give them a show. Getting up, she stalked back to the wall, reared back her leg, and kicked with as much force as she could muster. 

 

She allowed herself to smile when her foot made a noticeable dent in the wall. Swinging around and letting the momentum of the heavy chains turn her body, she punched the wall and laughed when she could feel the metal wall bend beneath her wrists. The dent was bigger now, much bigger and large enough that it would probably be able to accommodate her head.

 

This was a spaceship, after all. It would really stink if she were to blow a hole in the ship and send it spiraling into a dance of doom in space. She was about to punch again when the sound of an opening door echoed throughout the room. 

 

Her captor stood, his dark cape fluttering in the air. 

 

“Ah,” said Loman, “It’s good to see that you’re awake.”

 

Rey snarled in response and launched herself towards the knight. She knew that it was hopeless and that he would probably be able to flick her away like she was a mere bug. Still, it gave her great pleasure to try and hurt him. 

 

Sure enough, he caught her wrists a moment before they would have punched his face in. Pushing her fist away until he could lean down and stare into her eyes, he had the audacity to smile. “My, aren’t you feisty?”

 

“Get your filthy hands off of me,” Rey growled. It was hard trying to sound intimidating while Loman was practically crushing her fist. Her throat was still burning, and she didn’t have to look twice to see the purple bruises.

 

Instead of letting her go, he leaned in even closer. Loman took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Mmm,” he sighed appreciatively, “I love it when you get angry. It flows through me like fire and makes me feel so alive!”

 

Disgust rolled through Rey’s stomach and she thought that the meager dinner she had managed to swallow would soon be on the floor. Unwilling to show fear in front of Loman, she swallowed back her bile. 

 

“No, no, don’t hold back your disgust,” Loman said, sounding almost like a disappointed parent. “Use it. Kylo Ren was foolish in trying to train you; he was too easy. I’m going to tear you apart, limb for limb, and put you back together until you are the most  _ perfect _ thing on this earth.”

 

Kylo Ren. Just that name was enough to relax Rey’s muscles. Noting how Loman’s face twitched with agitation, Rey decided to focus on the things that he  _ wouldn’t _ like. Love, for one. Affection. Memories of laughing with her friends. 

 

Growling, Loman stepped away like he had been burnt. 

 

“It does not matter. You can delude yourself with your fantasies of love and happiness for as long as you want,” he said, “But you will soon learn the true power of the dark side. Kylo Ren was too gentle and caring with such a beautiful thing like you…”

 

Rey shivers and flinches as Loman trails his finger down her cheek like a caressing whisper. It feels the way that Rey imagines Death’s cold hands would feel like. 

 

He sees her shiver. He sees the way that she draws back hesitantly from the darkness, and Loman’s eyes darken with disapproval. When he raises his hand next, Rey quickly brings her own hands up to her face to ward off what she suspects is an attack. 

 

But a punch never comes. Loman instead nudges her hands out of her face, and extends the thing in his hand for her to see. 

 

It takes a few seconds for Rey to calm down her pumping heart. Even when she does lower her hands and gaze suspiciously at Loman, she prepares herself for any attack nonetheless. 

 

What’s in his hands is what makes her jaw drop. 

 

“What,” Rey gulps, her words choking her, “Is that?”

 

“Silly girl. Haven’t you seen a collar before?”

 

Yes, Rey has seen collars before. On Jakku, the richest of the richest could afford to buy luxury animals, fluffy and beautiful things whose sole purpose in the universe was to look pretty and docile. Collars would be placed on the most wild animals in the outpost; giant elephants and other animals that were to be tamed. 

 

Yes, Rey had seen collars before. But not on  _ people _ . As if reading her thoughts, which he probably was, Loman spoke again. 

 

“You have to be tamed, Rey. Wear it.”

 

He was so direct and unabashedly guileless that Rey stumbled over her next words with indignant surprise. “I am  _ not  _ putting on that thing,” she spit out, “I’m not just some animal that you can control!”

 

“Fine then,” snapped Loman, “I gave you the option to do this peacefully, didn’t I?”

 

Not a second after he finished speaking, his hands grabbed for her neck. But years of scavenging and fending for herself on Jakku gave Rey impressive instincts, and the only thing that Loman’s hands managed to grasp was the air in which Rey had been standing not seconds before. 

 

Loman cocked his head to one side. “My, aren’t you fast. Not fast enough, I’m sad to say.” 

 

Rey barely had time to deflect his next strike, and she found herself starting to edge backwards in an attempt to distance herself from him. When her back hit the cold wall, she knew that the end was near. 

 

Not all was lost. She ducked Loman’s next swipe, and ducked under his arm and ran as quickly as she could to the exit. 

 

The door was open! It was fully open and unlocked! Her heart pounded like a wild butterfly in her chest, and Rey shouted with glee as her feet passed the threshold of the door. Knowing without a doubt that Loman would soon be behind her, Rey made a split-second decision and turned down the right wing of the hallway. 

 

She stumbled into multiple people, and some of them shouted for help. More than once, she saw the flash of the unmistakable uniform of a stormtrooper, a constant reminder that she was still under the power of the First Order. 

 

Out of nowhere, a giant beam from the ceiling fell to land right in front of her. Skidding to a stop and shrieking with surprise and panic, Rey hesitated in her steps for a split second. 

 

If she had ran just a little faster, the beam would have hit her. It seemed like the fall had been measured, like it was on purpose. Now it stood in front of her, a giant wall of steel that was much too tall for her to scale or climb. Maybe, if she had been a bit skinnier, she could skirt around the edges. 

 

“Rey! Stop running from me!”

 

Rey swiveled around, and saw a breathless Loman emerge from the corner with an outstretched hand. He had finally caught up to her; and Rey was too tired to continue running. 

 

“No,” she panted, “I will never stop running from you!”

 

“What’s the point?” Loman screamed, suddenly enraged. “Do you  _ really  _ think that the Resistance will come back for you? They sent you on a mission, didn’t they? And now you’ve failed. Kylo Ren will never go back to the light. Will the Resistance really want you back?”

 

Rey gulped. Sensing her hesitation, Loman continued. 

 

“And Kylo? Do you think he’ll come for you?”

 

“Yes,” Rey said, “Yes, I do! He’ll never leave me!” But even Rey herself could hear the uncertainty in her voice. 

 

“But wasn’t he the one to leave you here in the first place?” Loman’s tone was inquisitive and solemn, and there was a hint of sadness and glee mixed in. 

 

Rey gulped again. “I,” she stammered, her eyes flickering around the hallway like those of a trapped animal, “I don’t know what you mean. He didn’t leave me here,” she said. “Kylo will come back. He always does and he always will.”

 

Loman shook his head sadly. “Oh, you poor girl,” he crooned, “So naive and innocent. Allow me to fill you in on what happened while you were unconscious.”

 

Rey strained her eyes. She was...unconscious? It felt like she had died when she faded into the darkness. But seeing that she was now standing here, facing her enemy, breathing and living, she was alive.

 

Loman continued. “Kylo rebelled. He led a small faction of power-hungry traitorous officers and attacked the First Order. He left you; when he could have easily taken you from me. In fact, I even offered you to him when I met him on the battlefield. And what did he do? He shook his head and walked away from you.”

 

Rey sniffed, a tear trailing down her cheek. “That’s, that’s not true,” she sobbed, “You’re lying to me!”

 

As she cried, Loman inched closer like a hungry predator and continued. “Oh, no, my dear, I would never lie to you. I saw him, with my own eyes, as he fought against his friends for power and greed. He saw you, in my arms as I was carrying you to safety, and merely laughed. He doesn’t want you; Rey. You were always just a tool to him.”

 

Was it true? Did Kylo really leave her? Rey reached out with the Force.  _ Kylo! _

 

Nothing came back to her. Silence was her only friend. It was like there was a steel wall; and it separated her from even  _ feeling _ Kylo’s presence. No response ever came, and Rey knew that Loman saw the look of hopelessness on her face. 

 

“I’m sorry you had to learn it this late, Rey,” Loman said. “All Kylo Ren ever wanted from you was your power and strength.”

 

Rey cried even louder, and she sunk to the floor with her head in her tear-soaked hands as Loman’s words tore apart her heart. This was it, then. Kylo never did really love her. She was just a way to make him more powerful.  

 

“I will never leave you, Rey,” he whispered, his mouth next to her ear while she continued to cry. “I’ll be with you, forever and always.”

  
With his free hand, he silently slipped the collar onto his throat, and Rey whimpered when she felt her freedom disappear into the air like a withering butterfly losing its wings.


End file.
